


Crossbows and Lockpicks

by MistressMistrust



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daryl Dixon Smut, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Explicit Language, Explicit Sex, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Imprisonment, Love Confessions, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn, Spoilers, Strong Female Characters, Violence, drug references, possible triggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-03-11 12:18:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 34
Words: 120,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13524108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressMistrust/pseuds/MistressMistrust
Summary: Sometimes she wondered if love was worth fighting for.Then she looked at him.And she was ready for war.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, So this is only my second ever Fan Fic. I am not an experienced writer, nor is this a serious thing for me. It's just a bit of fun and I hope someone can take as much enjoyment from reading this as I have from writing it.  
> This is a Daryl Dixon fan fic, not a Walking Dead one, so the original story isn't really followed to the letter and there is minimal focus on other characters. This is purely shameless indulgence in my version of Daryl Dixon and my OFC.  
> Please leave comments and let me know what you're enjoying about it and where you want it to go.

[Mood Board/ Inspiration for this Fic can be found here. ](https://xmistressmistrustx.tumblr.com/post/177937381305/mood-boardinspiration-for-my-daryl-fixon-fan-Fic)

 

She awoke on the hard, dusty floor. The cold biting into her bones. Her leather jacket had been draped over her torso, but her legs were feeling the after effects of the lack of cover. Her pillow, a half empty backpack containing a scarf, a pack of smokes, a zippo and a spare pair of socks. She hated not having spare socks. Light poured through the broken window at the far end of the room and all around her, was silence. The room was grey, dust filled the air, floating in the light and she wondered how she had been able to breathe after having slept the night in there. She sighed deeply and glanced to her side. Her knife and handgun were still there.  
She was upstairs in an abandoned convenience store when it started to get dark and Walkers began to emerge from the treelines around the parking lot. Opting to stay put for the night was the more appealing option at the time. Her neck was sore from sleeping in a difficult position, she tilted her head to the side and massaged the side of her neck with her hand, feeling a light crack and instant relief as her bones settled back into place. Standing up, she dusted down her black jeans and military boots, noticing a large dusty mark on her white tank top.  
  
“Dammit” She spat, rubbing at the mark with the ball of her hand. Her long, black hair fell in front of her face, obscuring her view. She pulled it into a messy bun and wrapped some elastic from her wrist around it. Shrugging her jacket on, she retrieved her knife and strapped its holster to her belt. She checked her handgun for ammo and shoved it into the back of her jeans. It had to be around 5am, the sun hadn’t risen too far above the trees and as she approached the window, pulling her backpack on, she could smell the dew on the leaves and grass surrounding the parking lot.  
Mia was a lone wolf who was more than capable of looking after herself. She was nimble, stealthy and had plenty of stamina. Not one to make friends easily, she preferred to scavenge alone, bringing back any rewards and placing them in the communal pantry, keeping only cigarettes and certain items of clothing for herself. Mia had spent a number of months alone as the world crumbled around her. Her family had been bitten and she’d reluctantly, but quickly put them out of their misery, only crying briefly when she had to bury them. Emotions were a difficult concept for Mia. She kept them locked in a box in the back of her mind, only opening it a crack every now and then when she needed to. She wasn’t heartless, just practiced in the art of self-control and focused on her goal, which was staying alive.  
  
The Convenience store had been a winner and a welcome one at that. The shelves were bare and the store had been ransacked, but in the back, behind a heavy, locked door remained a store room full of canned goods and even some painkillers and first aid supplies. Mia had found picking the lock to be child’s play and kicked the door open. She had stuffed as much as possible into a shopping cart and wheeled it back to the front door, where she had seen a dozen walkers shuffling about in the trees across the road. She had stashed the cart behind the cash desk and retreated back into the building, finding the upstairs room completely empty. The owners seemed to have been renovating it.  
  
She crept down the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible, her boots smacking against the concrete steps. Silence still surrounded the building, which was a good thing, any noises would likely be from a Walker or an animal, which she could kill and eat. The store was still the way she had left it, except the Walkers outside had vanished. She grabbed the cart from behind the cash desk and ran out from the building, crossing the parking lot to her black truck. She loaded the supplies into a box on the flatbed and turned around, ready to shove the cart away from her. She froze when she realised a Walker stood on the other side of the cart, smacking against it as it held out its arms, trying to grab her.  
  
“Oh, for god sakes” She sighed impatiently. Noticing one of its eyes was missing, a grotesque, bloody void was all that was left. Mia curled her lip in disgust, the smell of putrid, rotting flesh filling her nose.  
“Sneaky shit” She said as she took out her knife. She shoved the cart as hard as she could, knocking the Walker off balance. It’s guttural noises making her feel slightly sick. It stumbled back and hit the floor with a sickening smack as Mia kicked the cart aside and walked around the monster. She glanced around the parking lot, checking for any other danger before she drove the knife down into its one remaining eye and it instantly stopped moving. She watched as she slowly removed the knife, the wet, sucking sound sending a shiver through her. She took a rag from her back pocket and wiped her knife, sliding it back into its holster. As she went to walk away, she noticed the Walkers hand, sprawled out on the tarmac. On its middle finger was a silver and black ring, adorned with symbols. Mia kneeled and took hold of the cold, limp hand, wiggling at the ring and trying to remove it. She cried out in disgust when The Walkers finger dropped off in her hand, leaving a trail of coagulated, pungent blood. She flinched and shook her head as if to shake away any fear. Finally freeing the ring, she tossed the finger over her shoulder and stood, peering down at the Walker, shoving her new piece of jewellery onto her thumb.  
“Finders, Keepers” She chirped, walking back to the truck and climbing in. She turned the ignition and the engine roared to life. She shoved her headphones in and began to screech along with the heavy, stoner rock music that filled her mind. She rummaged in her backpack, grabbing her smokes and zippo, ignited her cigarette and hit the road.

Alexandria had been both a blessing and a curse for Mia. She had been alone for so long, she had adapted to survival on her own terms. The makeshift town was full of decent enough folk, who all pulled their weight in some way or another, to aid in the maintenance of the safe haven. But Mia wasn’t much of a people person and it had taken weeks for Aaron, the towns recruiter to convince her to even speak to him. Once she did, she agreed to visit and speak with Deanna, the leader of their community and safe zone. Deanna had explained their need for someone with skills such as Mia’s and what they could offer her in return which seemed to be a good deal. Mia now had her own house, with a bed and a working shower and paid her way by scavenging for the community on the agreement that she be left to work alone. She had been living in the safe zone for three weeks and had only really spoken to a minimal amount of people, choosing to keep herself to herself and feeling mildly annoyed that her neighbours kept bringing her cookies and attempting to socialize with her. Mia was confident, brash and not to everyone’s taste, yet the people of Alexandria didn’t seem to be giving up on her. On the odd occasion she had caught Spencer, Deanna’s son, staring at her from across the road while she cleaned out her truck. Paying him no mind, she told herself he would get bored once he realised she wasn’t interested.

The heavy, sliding gate to the safe zone groaned as it was hauled open by the sentries. Mia waited impatiently until the gap was wide enough to fit her truck through. She puffed smoke O’s from her mouth as she hit the accelerator and edged the truck through the gate. Her headphones still blaring music that could be heard by the guards on the gate. She nodded a brief thanks to one of them as she passed, flicking her cigarette out of the window and putting her foot down. The truck raced up the main road, it’s engine roaring loudly and attracting the attention of people on the sides of the street. Mia wondered why there seemed to be so many people out today, standing in big groups outside their homes. She pulled up to the communal pantry entrance and bounced out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She heaved the box of supplies from the truck and entered the building.  
Olivia was the pantry controller. She kept tabs on what people took and when, ensuring no one was taking over their allocated amount of anything. She was a rotund woman with a kind and not unpretty face. Mia had found her to be pleasant and inoffensive, so kept their conversations simple but friendly. Olivia’s face lit up when she saw Mia enter the room.  
“That’s a big box!” She grinned, slapping her clipboard on a nearby shelf and approaching Mia.  
“Yeah I hit the jackpot this time. Food, medical supplies, baby formula, sanitary products.” Mia said as she dropped the heavy box onto the floor.  
Olivia tore the lid off and began rooting through the contents, lifting out boxes and squinting at the labels.  
“Woah, hold your horses” Mia said, gently pushing Olivia to one side and grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey from the box.  
“Mama needs a reward” She grinned, tucking it into her biker jacket.  
“Mia, you know everything has to be put on the inventory. Including your piece” Olivia warned.  
“Fine” Mia spat. She placed her gun on the countertop but gripped the bottle tight. “I’ll just go tell Deanna that I’m keeping this. Y’know, for all the times I risked my ass getting you guys tins of beans. Then it won’t have to go on the damn inventory” She turned on her heels and left the room emerging back out into the blaring sunshine. The warmth the sun provided was welcome, but not in a heavy, black leather jacket that acted as a greenhouse. She shrugged her jacket off and pulled the trucks door open, obtaining another cigarette and gripping the bottle in her other hand. She slammed the door shut, puffed away and wandered down the street.


	2. Chapter 2

Deanna sat opposite Daryl in her organised, clean and nicely decorated living room. She watched as he paced the floor, his crossbow in one hand and a dead Opossom in the other. She had invited him to sit down more than once, but he declined each time, preferring to walk back and forth clutching his kill and shooting her suspicious looks. She waited patiently for any sign that he may settle down, before deciding the best course of action may be to just let him do what he needed to do. She thought about how this would look once she watched the tape of the interview back. Daryl was certainly the most feral out of the new group, but she suspected he could be extremely useful, if the catch in his hand was anything to go by.  
“Daryl, do you want to be here, in Alexandria?” She asked. He stopped pacing and chewed on his bottom lip, as if thinking carefully about his answer. His leather waistcoat hung about his shoulders, scratched and dirty, much like his skin. Deanna could barely read his eyes as they were hidden behind a curtain of greasy, floppy, brown hair.  
“The baby and the boy, they deserve a roof” He mumbled in a gruff, husky voice.  
  
Mia let herself into the large house, thumping down the hallway and turning the door handle to the living room. She shoved the door open and entered the room, lifting the bottle and glancing at the label.  
“Deanna, I’ll be fuckin’ damned if you make me put this bad boy on inventory.” She announced, walking into the room without looking up. She helped herself to a large, high backed, leather chair and slumped down in it, throwing her legs over the arm as she undid the bottle of whiskey. She chugged the strong, brown liquid and felt the familiar and pleasurable burn of the alcohol as it coursed down her throat. Drops of the liquid landed on her white tank top as the bottle left her lips. Swallowing hard, she lifted the bottle in the air.  
“To me! I almost got eaten by a Walker with some bangin’ jewellery so this…is for me”  
She froze when she realized she had walked in on something, slowly raising her gaze to Deanna and the dirty stranger standing before her.  
“Shit. I’m sorry, boss… I’ll leave” She struggled to her feet and clutched the bottle by her side.  
Deanna reached over to the video camera and hit the pause switch on the side.  
“Mia, this is Daryl Dixon. Daryl and his group are thinking of joining our community. Daryl, this is Mia Roberts, our resident scavenging expert and… casual alcoholic” Deanna said, acknowledging the bottle of whiskey in Mia’s hand.  
Mia nodded a reluctant acknowledgement to Daryl, who did the same in return. She noticed the dead animal in his hand and the crossbow he had now slung over his shoulder.  
“You kill that thing with that?” Mia asked, motioning to the crossbow.  
Daryl observed her for a moment, looking her up and down, before nodding subtly.  
“Nice, I can see why you would want him” She said to Deanna “Although I’m not sure about your decision to recruit selective mutes though”  
“You were much quieter when you first arrived, you came out of your shell” Deanna retorted  
Mia stepped forward, running her finger along the expensive chesterfield couch.  
“Only with you…you’re my favourite” She whispered mockingly, giving Deanna a patronizing wink. Rounding the couch, she stood in front of her leader and propped the bottle up next to her face, displaying a large, toothy grin.  
“So whatcha say? Can I take Mr Daniels back to my abode and have a little alone time, off the record?”  
Deanna rolled her eyes and sighed.  
“Fine. Just don’t shout it from the rooftops please. I start letting you bend the rules, I have to do it for the others.”  
Mia blew Deanna a sarcastic kiss and made her way to the door, glancing back as her hand gripped the handle.  
“Welcome to paradise, Daryl Dixon” She said, tilting the bottle in his direction. 

Daryl had never met anyone quite like the woman that had interrupted his pointless and irritating interview with the politician lady. On the one hand she was intriguing, on the other, annoying, loud and egotistical. Daryl didn’t care much for socializing or forming friendships. He had all the friends he needed since his brother had died and he’d latched onto the group. What started as tagging along had turned into an almost joint leadership and him taking on a sergeant at arms role alongside their leader, Rick. It kept him busy and he was able to protect and provide for those that he had deemed to be worth looking out for. His life had been a tumultuous one and had left him with a wary and angry outlook on most things, especially that which he wasn’t familiar with.  
  
He sat on the porch of his new home, cleaning his crossbow. Occasionally looking up at passers-by, who all either waved hello or smiled and got nothing in return. He wasn’t used to this kind of living, in a big house on a gated community. He had been surviving for a long time before the world started to fall, so it’d had become all he’d known. Inside these big, reinforced walls Daryl still remained constantly on his guard.  
“Have you even taken a shower yet” Carol asked, closing the front door and padding onto the porch. Daryl glanced up at his friend, who had changed her appearance drastically since they’d arrived. She’d ditched her dirty, apocalypse clothing for some smart grey pants, a white shirt and a baby blue sweater.  
“mmhmm” Daryl answered, knowing she wouldn’t believe him.  
“Take a shower. I’m going to wash that vest” she ordered. “We need to keep up appearances. Even you” She crossed the porch and started down the stairs.  
“I aint gonna start now” he complained.  
“I’ll hose you down in your sleep!” She called back to him as she reached the bottom of the steps and made her way down the path.  
“You look ridiculous” He jested.  
He and Carol had formed a close bond in recent months. Both broken and abused in the past, they had found something in each other that had grown from indifference to a caring, familiar and sometimes flirty back and forth, mainly because Carol knew he hated it when she flirted with him. When Daryl’s brother died, it was the final piece of his old life that had been left behind. He was now surviving with a group of people that were the family he never had. 

After loading her allocated food for the week into the back of the truck, Mia jumped in and turned on the ignition. Stuffing her headphones back in, she hit the play button and her ears filled with music. She drove the truck up to the end of the main street, where her home was, set back from the road in the middle. She could see the whole main street from her front porch. She was almost to the drive when she looked out of the driver’s side window and noticed Daryl sat on the porch of a house, cleaning his crossbow. He looked up as he heard the truck pass by, locking eyes with her. Her arm was resting on the open window, she lifted her hand in a gesture to him but was not graced with a response.  
  
As she pulled the truck into the drive, she sat for a moment and watched him. Completely immersed in his task. She had noticed a few other new faces as she’d driven through the small town, all of which seemed to be washed and clean, all except Mr. Dixon, who was sat on his porch, scowling suspiciously at everyone who passed by.  
Mia jumped out of the truck, slung her backpack over her shoulder and took her box of food inside the house. She dumped it on the dining table and caught sight of an untouched box of cookies on the kitchen counter. She had received them as a gift three days ago from a neighbour. She sighed and grabbed the box, making her way back out onto the porch. The sun was so bright, she snatched her sunglasses from the hall table on her way out, cursing herself for forgetting to take them on her trip.  
  
Mia considered herself lucky to have this house. While smaller than the other, family houses, it was plenty big enough for her and due to it’s slightly secluded location, allowed her to indulge in her own space and to observe the rest of the community from her quiet post on the swing chair of her porch. She had spent many nights sprawled out, swinging back and forth and reading. Feeling safe for the first time in a very long time.  
She sat on the swing chair, placing the cookies next to her and sliding her sunglasses on. Looking through her backpack, she only had half a packet of cigarettes left, but had managed to scavenge more. She stuck one between her lips and lit up. Inhaling deeply and feeling the nicotine rush through her. She had always been told she smoked too much but now, in this world, she figured why the hell not when you could get bitten by a Walker tomorrow. She opened the box of cookies and went to take one, stopped by a noise across the road. Daryl was now sat on the floor of the front porch of his house and he had company. A tall, brown haired man stood by the door, speaking to him briefly before descending the steps and walking down the road. Mia thought for a second, before closing the cookie box and standing up. She shoved the cigarette pack into the back pocket of her tight, black jeans and went inside. In the kitchen, she pulled open the fridge and collected two bottles of beer, picked up the cookie box and walked across the road to the house.

Daryl had declined Rick’s invitation to ‘go and explore’, choosing instead to remain where he was. He was finding it difficult to adapt to his new surroundings. His crossbow, now completely clean was propped up next to him. He heard footsteps approaching from behind him and quickly stood, spinning round in the direction of the noise. He saw Mia approaching the house. A sigh escaped his lungs and he prepared himself for a conversation. Feeling slightly nervous.  
Mia climbed the steps to the porch and stood quietly opposite Daryl. Neither said a word for a few moments before the silence was broken.  
“I come in peace” Mia said, stepping closer to him, her cigarette hanging from her lips. “I wanted to apologise, for walking in on your interview”  
She watched as Daryl’s eyes moved from her to the cookies in one hand and to the bottles in the other.  
“Uh…Beer?” She chirped, snapping open the bottle and handing it to him. He hesitated before slowly raising an arm and accepting it.  
“Thanks” he mumbled. Mia scanned the porch for something to sit on, finding nothing, she stepped even closer to Daryl and leaned on the railing next to him. She listened as he gulped the beer, as if he hadn’t had any liquids for days.  
“They have this weird thing here about making cookies. I’ve been here three weeks and they’re still bringing them to me. So, I figured, I’d share the burden.” She said, opening the box and holding it in front of him. He stared at them, and then back at her before sheepishly taking a cookie and ramming it in his mouth. It was gone in seconds.  
“Good?” She asked. He shrugged.  
“You’re not a big talker, huh?” She asked.  
“Not really” He replied. Mia offered him a cigarette, which he accepted. She flipped open the zippo, lit the end and smiled thinly at him when he nodded thanks. A few minutes passed while they sat in an uncomfortable silence. Mia was trying to think of either something else to say, or an excuse to leave, when she was surprised by Daryl speaking.  
“Can we trust this place? These people?”  
Mia scoffed. “Yeah, I think so. Took them long enough to convince me. I was followed around for weeks out there before I was convinced to come here and talk to Deanna. Since then, I’ve been wary, but there’s nothing but rainbows and unicorns here. They need people, strong people with skills. That’s why we were chosen.”  
Daryl watched her as she spoke, taking in her features, her long black hair, pale, clear complexion. He couldn’t see her eyes through her sunglasses, but he had remembered from earlier that they were bright blue.  
“Alexandria...it’s like the fuckin Waltons. If Walkers got in here, there would be nothing but screaming and death. They’ve got complacent. Weak. That’s why they need people like us.”  
“People like us?” Daryl questioned. Mia stood and turned to face him.  
“People able to last more than five minutes outside that wall”. She backed away from him, smiling and holding eye contact before she reached the stairs.  
“Well, it’s been nice. I’m not usually one for welcomes and cookies, but I figured you could use a welcome from someone more on your level” She grinned “See ya around”. She descended the stairs and headed back to her house.  
Daryl turned and watched her walk across the road. She made him uneasy, nervous. Maybe It wasn’t because he didn’t trust her, maybe it that she seemed unpredictable, confident and sure of herself. Maybe, it was because he knew they had things in common.


	3. Chapter 3

Mia rummaged through her bedroom closet, tugging clothes from hangers and throwing them over her shoulder. Before coming to Alexandria, she had the clothes on her back, and socks. She always had spare socks. Now, she had collected a plethora of clothing, mostly black, her colour of choice. She had never looked like everyone else. Large tattoos adorned her back, snaking around to her sides and her eyes were always lined with black. A mask she was never willing to give up, apocalypse or no apocalypse. She settled on a black pencil dress and some black stiletto heels. Leaving her hair to fall around her shoulders and choosing a dark red lipstick. She observed herself in the floor length mirror once she was dressed and ready to leave. Turning to look at her back, which was exposed due to the deep, scooped drop at the back of the dress. She let out a slight huff of a laugh.  
“Gotta look fly in the apocalypse”.  
She shook her head and stuffed her smokes and lighter into her clutch bag, along with her lipstick. Checking herself once more in the mirror before carefully trotting down the stairs and leaving the house. 

Deanna had put on a welcome party at her home for the new group. Everyone was invited and was expected to attend. She had personally extended an invitation to each member of the new group. Deanna’s home was the largest in the community, more than big enough to accommodate all of her guests. She had put on a large buffet and promised Mia there would be alcohol, knowing this would be only thing she would put on a dress and act interested for.  
  
The party was a lot more civilized than most she had attended in her life. People stood around in their best clothes and talked animatedly, sipping on champagne and discussing mundane topics. Mia stood in the hallway and looked around.  
“Hey, Mia” Spencer said as he approached her down the hallway. Her heart sank. She told herself to just be civil, he wasn’t doing anything wrong after all. But she was sick of him leering at her all the time.  
“Hey” She said politely.  
“You look amazing” His eyes ran up and down her body.  
“Thanks” She said through her teeth.  
“Look, if you wanna hang out with me, I can steer you clear or Mrs Neudermeyer. She’s been telling everyone how much she wants a Pasta maker. Believe me, it’s not a conversation you want to have” he laughed.  
Mia rolled her eyes.  
“Ugh…Excuse me” She sighed, walking into the main room, leaving spencer stood alone in the hall.  
Daryl noticed Mia enter the room from the corner he’d been stood in for the last hour, trying to avoid people. Carol had tired to encourage him to mingle, but he was not the type. Hovering on the side-lines and observing was more his style. He watched as she crossed the room, impressed by her large back tattoos. Roman Numerals down her spine and two, huge mandalas either side. Her hair covered the top of the numbers, and swished about her shoulders as she walked. She stopped by the drinks table and her hand paused above the glasses of champagne for a moment before she plucked a bottle of beer from the ice bucket. Daryl found that amusing. Choosing the less feminine option, the more appealing option. The option he chose.  
  
“Why don’t you go talk to her?” Carol interrupted his thoughts. Daryl shot her an annoyed look.  
“What?” He said.  
“That girl. Go talk to her. Everyone in this room can see you looking at her” A sly smile spread across her face. Daryl felt defensive.  
“Dressed like that I’m surprised the whole room aint’ lookin’ at her”  
“She’s a beautiful girl. You could do with a woman’s touch in your life. Just remember, I liked you first” She squeezed his shoulder.  
“Stop. It aint like that” He complained, taking a sip from his beer bottle.  
  
Mia made the rounds and spoke to everyone politely, making sure she’d introduced herself to everyone that was new, on Deanna’s instructions. Before long, she decided she’d had enough of the crowd. She retreated to the porch outside, sitting on the steps and looking out over the pond in the back yard. Her bag propped against her on the step. In order to stay at Alexandria, she had to play by the rules, do what was expected of her and reap the rewards. Sometimes she wondered if any of it was even worth it. Maybe life was simpler outside of the walls, on her own, no one to give her orders or scavenge for. Yes, life outside was lonely, cold and desolate. But sometimes she wished she could swap and go back to it, every now and again. Her scavenger runs didn’t always have to take two or three days, she stayed out sometimes, to remind herself to always be on her guard. The door shut behind her and she looked over her shoulder. Daryl stood awkwardly, his hand still on the door handle. He smiled thinly at her.  
“Mr. Dixon. Wasn’t expecting you to show up” She said casually. Her eyebrow shot up when she noticed his changed appearance. She whistled at him and grinned.  
“Don’t you scrub up well” she flirted.  
Ignoring the compliment, he slowly walked towards the steps, sitting down beside her and offering her a cigarette. She hesitated and stared at the small, white stick in his hand.  
“Returnin’ the favour” he mumbled. She took the smoke and leaned in to him so he could light it for her.  
“Didn’t think this would be your kind of thing” She stated, blowing smoke out of her nose.  
“It aint. Carol made me show my face” He said, flicking the lid of his bottle into the back yard.  
“Yeah? Deanna did the same to me. There’s a certain amount of effort required. That’s what they like to do to those of us that don’t quite fit in. Enforced fun. Yippee”  
She heard a small mumble of agreement from Daryl.  
“Got me wearing these stupid ass shoes” She stuck her leg out and twisted it slightly to the side, showing off her high heeled stilettos. “And this stupid ass dress. Dressed up like a god damn hooker to stand in somebody’s kitchen and sip champagne”  
She heard Daryl let out a small snort of laughter and finally felt like she was getting somewhere. A small smile crept across his face, but he would not look at her, fixating on something in the distance instead. He was obviously not a people person, much like herself. But she had almost set herself a challenge to bring him out of his shell. She always liked a challenge, almost as much as she liked scruffy, bad boys.  
“So, I spoke to everyone from your group. They all seem like good people.”  
“They are” he said quietly.  
“You must have sacrificed a lot to keep them safe”  
Daryl finally looked at her, making eye contact.  
“Rick is the one that keeps ‘em safe. I just feed ‘em”  
Mia watched him as his eyes slowly drifted out to the back yard again, he looked thoughtful, maybe even sad.  
“Bullshit” She said suddenly. He looked back at her again.  
“What?” He said.  
“I said. Bullshit. Every person I spoke to in there holds you in high regard. Both you and Rick. It seems you don’t like to take the credit that you’re due. I can see by looking at you that you’re more than capable of keeping such a large group of people safe and I’ll hazard a guess and say that you were surviving for a long time on your own at one point and got plenty of experience”  
Daryl stared at her, not entirely sure how to respond to what he had to admit was a pretty accurate observation.  
“How the hell ya know all that?” He asked.  
“I’m an annoyingly good judge of character. Plus, I spent a long time on my own, living day to day, so I guess it’s easy to spot in someone if you know what you’re looking for”  
Daryl nodded and Mia thought she saw what was a slightly impressed look flicker across his face. Mis finished her cigarette and flicked it with one hand into the darkness in front of them.  
“I think I’m going to call it a night. I don’t think I’ve been this uncomfortable in a dress since…well, forever.” She said, climbing to her feet and using the railing to steady herself.  
“Yeah, me too” Daryl said, also standing and finishing his smoke.  
“Oh, good. You can walk me home then” Mia demanded.  
  
Only the sound of the wind in the trees could be heard on the walk back to their houses. The odd clank of a walker hand on the metal wall ruined the ambience every now and then, but after a while, it became unnoticeable. Some of the street lights worked, thanks to an electricity grid that some of the residents maintained and were trying to expand. It left some streets in total darkness, and others lit up completely.  
Mia had reached the next house along from Deanna’s before giving up and wriggling her heels off. Clasping them both by the heels in one hand, she sighed and her feet lay flat on the tarmac.  
“That’s some good shit” She breathed, closing her eyes for a second before padding down the middle of the road in her bare feet, Daryl wandering along next to her. She slowly but surely edged closer to him, looking over the angel wings on the back of his leather vest.  
“Nice vest. Looks like a cut. You part of an MC?” She asked casually. He looked at her and then away again.  
“Not really.” He answered.  
“You ride though?”  
“Yeah. Well, when I had a bike”  
Mia listened to him scrape his boots along the floor, the sound echoing off the houses. They soon arrived at Mia’s house, stopping at the end of the pathway. Daryl looked awkwardly at the ground.  
“Well, thanks for chaperoning me. I enjoyed our clandestine meeting. We should have more of those”  
“See you tomorrow” She said, heading down the path and swinging her heels in her hand. She was stopped by the sound of his voice.  
“You aint seen many hookers, huh?”  
She spun around, confused at the question.  
“Uh…what?”  
“You don’t look like a hooker. They aint as classy as you” He said, his eyes darting from Mia to the sidewalk and back again.  
“Mr. Dixon. Was that a compliment?” she chirped. He lifted his hand in a half wave and turned to walk away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely comments. I am so glad people like my OFC and are reading. <3

The next day, Mia was called into a meeting by Deanna but was told it was at Eric and Aaron’s house. Dressed in another pair of black pants and a Black Sabbath T-shirt, she strolled down the sidewalk to their house, waving politely at Rick, the leader of the newcomers across the street. He waved back and gave her a quick smile. Reaching the front porch, she knocked loudly on the door and waited. She could hear voices from inside as a shadow appeared in the window and opened the door. Aaron welcomed her with an awkward hug. In the living room was Eric, Aaron’s partner, Deanna and Daryl. Eric and Aaron sat on the chesterfield, Deanna sat behind her desk and Daryl nervously paced the room, much like in his interview. He stopped briefly when he saw Mia, before walking back and forth again. Mia slumped back on a chair next to the chesterfield.  
“Thank you both for attending” Deanna said. “Daryl, won’t you sit?”  
“Nah, I’m good” He said.  
“OK. As you both know, we require people with certain skills in order for this community to thrive. We recruit with this in mind, but not only this. We need good people here. Trustworthy, honest people and our recruiters are paramount in finding that for us.” Deanna said, before gesturing to Aaron to continue.  
“Eric and I have been recruiting for Alexandria for a long time now. We are able to tell who is a good person and who is a bad person. But we have done our time. Now, we would like to pass our job on to you. We believe that the both of you are excellent judges of character, and we know that you could do this job just as well as us. You may not find anyone, but we’d like you to try.”  
Mia’s eyes widened at the proposition.  
“I’m...I'm a scavenger. I work alone. That was our agreement” She said to Deanna.  
“Yes, and you still would be a scavenger. You and Mr. Dixon here would utilize your scavenging and hunting skills while looking out for more people to add to our community. If you want to travel together, but work alone, that is up to you. Think of it as hitting three birds with one stone.”  
Mia looked at Daryl, who had now stopped pacing and was stood motionless, his jaw tight while he nibbled on his thumb.  
“I think we might have something that would make the job more appealing to you, Daryl” Eric said, standing up. “Please, follow me”. He walked out of the room along with Aaron. Mia looked at Deanna, who motioned for her to follow the men. She did.  
In the garage, Daryl slowly walked around the room, marvelling at the plethora of motorcycle parts and tools on the work benches. In the middle was a large piece of tarpaulin which obviously covered a bike.  
“We know you ride bikes” Aaron said. “This was all left here by the previous occupants. I didn’t know what to do with it, so I just collected more parts when I found them. Cleaned them up and kept them here.” Mia wriggled her way past Eric in the doorway and stood quietly in the corner, watching Daryl process everything.  
“You’ll be good at this job Daryl. You’re a good man and you know good people when you see them. You know what you’re doing out there. You too, Mia” Aaron continued. “You survived on your own for months and arrived without so much as a scratch.”  
Daryl locked eyes with Mia for a few seconds before he lifted the tarpaulin and she saw a sly smile spread across his face when he saw what was underneath. He looked up at Aaron.  
“I aint got nothin’ else to do.” He said, pausing slightly before continuing. “Thanks, I’ll get ya some rabbits”.  
After the meeting, Mia sat on her front porch, absorbing the sun’s rays and rocking back and forth on her swinging chair. Movement from the road caught her eye. Daryl was cruising towards her house on his bike. The rumble of the engine vibrating through the floor. The bike came to a stop at the end of the path and Mia stood and hopped down the steps. Daryl dismounted from the bike and raised his head slightly in greeting to Mia.  
“Hey partner” She said, stopping in front of him.  
“Hey” He said quietly, marvelling at his new toy.  
“She’s a beauty, huh? Can’t believe they bribed you with this and I got nothing” Mia said, running her fingers over the handlebars. She quickly glanced at Daryl’s face, taking in his blue eyes, thin lips and floppy hair. Mia had always had a flirty nature. She was quick witted, smart and self-assured and revelled in the playfulness of flirting even when there was nothing intended by it other than for humour sake. This time however, she was beginning to admit to herself that her desire to flirt with this man was for a reason. There was something about him that she found…fascinating.  
“Yeah, she’s real nice.”  
Mia kicked some gravel around on the path with her boot.  
“So, I guess we’ll be spending a lot more time together from now on” She said, swishing her shoulders from side to side like an excited 5-year-old.  
“Uh…yeah” He said. “You wanna figure out a plan or somethin’? I know somewhere we could start, I got a map from Aaron”  
Mia felt something inside her that she hadn’t felt in a long time and she was unsure of exactly what it was. A kind if nervous, excited feeling. Giddy. Happy.  
“Sure, let’s go inside” She said, motioning over her shoulder with her thumb.  
  
Daryl followed Mia up the path and into her house. The first thing he noticed was that it was unlike the other houses he had been in since arriving in Alexandria. The walls were adorned with posters of bands and films. Candles filled almost every flat surface. She had turned it into a home that represented who she was, while others kept their homes simple and very much as they found them. Daryl felt slightly apprehensive about spending so much time alone with Mia. Something about her was slightly intimidating, it annoyed him because as a general rule, he wasn’t afraid of anything. He slowly walked around the room, looking at the posters and items on the walls, surprised at how much they seemed to have in common. He liked many of the same bands displayed on the walls.  
“Admiring my poster collection, I see” She said from behind him. “Scavenged them all. Figured now I have a house, I may as well make it my own”  
Daryl glanced over his shoulder at her as she began to slowly pace the floor. She raised her arms and pulled her hair into a messy bun. He watched as she ran her fingers through her hair, thin strands of black hair cascading down her back as she gathered them all together. He quickly looked away, realising that he was staring.  
“Some good bands up here” He commented. Turning to face her. She was clearing the dining table.  
“Yeah, I was never the pop music type” She grinned. “Let’s see this map of yours then. I have my own, places marked off that I’ve already hit. We can compare the two”  
  
She pulled open a drawer in the kitchen and walked to the dining table, folding open a large map peppered with red X’s and circles. She lay it flat on the surface and tilted her had at it. Daryl moved next to her and opened his own map, placing it below Mia’s. The two of them stood quietly next to one another, both surveying the symbols and arrows on the two maps. Daryl’s hand shot out at the same time as Mia’s.  
“Here-“ They both said at the same time, their hands touching above the same point on the bottom map.  
Daryl quickly looked down. Mia smirked before getting back to the task.  
“Ok, so we are in agreement that we should start there, that’s good. It’s at least a couple of day’s drive, so we should take enough with us to tide us over for at least four days. You should take your bike, I’ll take my truck.”  
She was good at taking the lead, which was fine with Daryl, as long as there was a solid plan, he would be willing to follow it. That’s how things had been with Rick and that was what he was used to. He just hoped Mia was as capable as Deanna and Aaron had made her out to be.  
“You were out on ya own?” He asked.  
“Yes. Probably for around 11 and a half months. I had a love hate relationship with it” She said, moving into the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of water. She held it up at Daryl.  
“Want one?”  
“No, thanks. How’d ya survive for that long?”  
Mia gulped down the water and leaned her back against the kitchen counter.  
“I’d been taking care of myself long before the world went to shit. I taught myself some stuff, how to pick locks, sniping and marksmanship, some hunting, although you’d probably put me to shame” Daryl felt himself smile slightly when she winked at him.  
“I can make fires, set up traps and kick some Walker ass. That impressive enough for you?”  
He nodded once, raising his eyebrows briefly. He was impressed, but he wasn’t about to express just how much. She puzzled him with her laid-back attitude to the world around her. She had somehow accepted her fate and found enjoyment in the small things.  
Turning his mind back to the task in hand, he pondered weather to leave the next morning or to make use of the rest of the daylight hours they had.  
“You wanna set off today?” He asked  
“Well, I have a salon appointment at 3…. Just kidding. Might as well get this show on the road” She said, approaching the table again and folding up the maps.  
Daryl felt her brush past him as she collected the paper from the table, the sweet smell of her hair distracting him slightly. She caught his eye as she shoved the folded maps into her pocket.  
“So, you going to take me for a ride? Or have I got to earn that?”  
His mind raced as he struggled to understand the directness of her comment. Not knowing how to answer, he just looked at her.  
She giggled. “I meant on your new Bike, Daryl” His arm tensed as she placed her hand on his bare bicep and squeezed it.  
“Relax. I know I’m a handful until you get used to me. I’ll meet you outside your house in about a half hour?”  
Grateful for the explanation, Daryl agreed and headed for the door.  
  
There was at least three hours of proper daylight left of the afternoon and Mia worked quickly to gather her things for the trip. She packed camping supplies, clothes, food, water, six pairs of socks, binoculars, CD’s for the truck, plenty of smokes and her sunglasses. The luxury of having a truck meant she had the space to pack for any situation. She pulled up alongside Daryl’s house and killed the ignition while she waited for him. Leaning her head back on the headrest, she closed her eyes and sighed deeply.  
  
“Hey” A voice startled her. It was Rick.  
“Oh Hi”  
“Daryl said you guys are heading out for a few days.” He said, leaning on the trucks mirror.  
“Yeah, it’s quite a way out, hopefully we’ll find some useful stuff…maybe some people” She said.  
“Look, I don’t want to patronise you. You’re kinda notorious around here and Deanna told me how long you were out there. But our group has had a tough time recently, we’ve learned the hard way that it isn’t always the Walkers that you have to fear…people can be worse”.  
Mia shifted in her seat and leaned on the trucks open window.  
“I spent so long alone, because I know that people have always been worse, Rick.” She smiled sadly. Rick sighed and glanced down at the floor before looking at her again.  
“Daryl…he’s been through a lot. He’s angry. But he’s a good guy.” He said.  
Mia narrowed her gaze at him.  
“I have no doubt that he’s a good guy” She grinned. Rick tapped the truck with his hand and walked back up the path to the house. Mia could hear a loud rumble behind her vehicle before she saw Daryl stop next to her on his bike.  
  
“You ready?” He yelled over the noise of the engine.  
“Me? I’ve been waiting for you to put your make-up on!” She laughed. “I need to stop by the armoury and pick up my piece, then we’re good to go”  
He gave her a ‘thumbs up’ and drove ahead of her.  
  
By dusk, they had found a clearing in the woods next to a stream to set up camp. The sky was a technicolour mix of purples, orange and pink and the air had the faint smell of pine carried on a light breeze. The only sounds were birds chirping in the tree tops. By all accounts it was the perfect setting, aside from the ever-present threat of the hungry undead. Daryl’s bike was parked next to Mia’s truck. Mia had made a fire while Daryl rigged a tripwire around their camp. She set to work cooking a rabbit, humming a gentle tune to herself as she turned it over the heat.  
“That should do it” Daryl said, re-appearing from the trees and sitting on the floor, his back against a tree trunk. He placed his crossbow next to him and bent one leg, draping an arm across it. Mia could feel him watching her at the fire but felt little to no anxiety about having her every move observed. However, she could still feel that nervous excitement she had felt all day, only now, she knew what it was. Butterflies.  
  
“How many people have you killed?” Daryl suddenly asked, shattering her pleasant butterfly-filled daydream.  
“9” She answered bluntly.  
“How many Walkers have you killed?” He carried on.  
“You keep count?” She said.  
“Don’t you?”  
“87” She mumbled.  
“Why did you kill those 9 people?” He said. She looked up at him and sat back on the floor, crossing her legs.  
“Self-defence. It was me or them”  
He thought for a moment before giving her a nod, satisfied with her answers.  
“What the hell was that?” She asked “You want my social security number too?”  
“Questions Rick asked any people we encountered. It’s what we should be askin’ if we see anybody. Can tell a lot about a person from their answers.”  
She studied him. His rugged exterior, short sentences and moody demeanour still appealing to her, although she had no idea why.  
“What could you tell about me then?” She probed. He drew a circle in the dust with a twig as he spoke.  
“We have more in common than I expected”.  
“That, we do. Mr. Dixon” She grinned at him.  
The two of them sat in a comfortable silence while they ate the rabbit Mia had carefully cooked. She picked and pulled at the meat, discarding any bones and fatty bits, while Daryl just ate the whole thing, leaving only a perfectly clean collection of bones. He looked at her little pile of discarded food.  
“You not gonna eat that?” He asked.  
“No” She replied.  
He got up from his spot by the tree and sat next to her, shoving bits of her leftovers into his mouth and licking his fingers. Before long, he sat back, stretching his legs out in front of him and propping himself up on his elbows. Mia stoked the fire and continued to hum to herself, occasionally breaking into a quiet song. She looked behind her to find him watching her again. Part of her was pleased.  
“Am I annoying you?” She questioned.  
“Nah, s’kinda nice” He admitted. She smiled at him and moved back to sit next to him.  
“mind if I ask you something?” She said.  
“You just did”  
She raised an eyebrow at him.  
“Why not, I asked you some stuff”  
“What were you, before all this?”  
“Drunk, mostly.”  
Mia laughed, comforted by how much she could relate to him and how he had no idea.  
“I was just hangin’ out with Merle, my brother, just getting’ up every day and waitin’ for him to tell me what we were goin’ to be doin’ that day…He died. I hadta put him down. What about you?”  
Mia contemplated the repercussions of being completely honest with him, but trusted that if anyone would understand, it would be Daryl.  
“Well I used to work in the clubhouse for the local MC. Behind the bar and stuff. But when everything went crazy, I was on the run” She blurted out. Daryl’s head snapped to the side as he gawped at her.  
“Home invasion. I had a slight narcotics problem and a thing for dangerous men. I did it because my then boyfriend asked me to. Promised me the world. Then the chickenshit bastard bails right as the cops show up. I managed to get away, moved to the next state. Then people started eating each other and I went back home, to my family, only to find that my mom and sister were already…turned. My father was a violent asshole, so I let him roam around as a bloated corpse, but first I ripped his bottom jaw off so he couldn’t bite anyone. Then, I went off on my own and here I am. Still surviving and still with a thing for dangerous men, except now, I know how to handle them.”  
She looked quickly at him, hoping his reaction wasn’t too severe.  
“Jeez…Crazy bitch” He said, shaking his head and smiling. “Merle would have liked you. You’re the kind of girl he woulda followed around for damn days”  
“And what kind of girl would you have followed?” She enquired, eager to hear how he would skirt around this one.  
“Nobody, I never had the walk and the talk like he did”  
Mia lay back and copied his position, although she sat up on one elbow, so she could face him. She studied him, wondering if he was going to elaborate more on the subject but was only met with an uncomfortable glance and a loud burp.  
“I think I’ll turn in, wake me up in a couple of hours and I’ll take second watch” She said eventually, getting to her feet and wandering in the direction of the truck.  
“Oh, and if it means anything to you, I’d have been flattered to have you follow me around. Goodnight, Mr. Dixon”


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl watched as Mia opened the door to the backseat of the truck. She placed a blanket inside and climbed up onto the seat. He wasn’t used to receiving compliments, especially from women and especially from women like Mia. He didn’t know how to take them, and thought it best to not respond at all rather than let it distract him from his job. 

Mia had been asleep for around half an hour when one of the trip wires woke her up, the soft clanking of tin on tin in the distance sending a jolt of shock through her.  
“Ugh, what the fuck?” She mumbled.   
Struggling to sit up in the backseat, her back was tense and cramped from sleeping in an odd position. She squinted in the direction of the campfire and saw Daryl creeping across the clearing, crossbow raised.   
“Daryl!” She whispered to him. He held up his hand to silence her and stood completely still at the treeline. The two of them froze for what seemed like an eternity, waiting for another noise, a glimpse of something, anything. When nothing happened. Daryl ran quietly to the trucks window.   
“Ima go in further, see if I can find what set it off. Stay here.”   
He left before Mia could reply, speeding off in the direction of the sound. She climbed out of the truck and quickly and quietly retrieved any supplies and food from the camp in case they had to leave quickly. It was at least ten minutes before Daryl re-appeared and Mia was now leaned against the truck, smoking a cigarette.   
“Find anything?” She asked.   
“One Walker, wandering in the trees”. He said, pulling out his own pack of cigarettes and lighting up.   
“Where there’s one there’s usually more” Mia said, exhaling.   
“Yeah, couldn’t see any though”. He leaned on the truck next to her and the two of them stood there without speaking for a number of minutes before the silence was broken by a loud groan and shuffling noises. Mia’s head snapped up and she saw a green and blue, bruised skinned Walker emerge from the trees, it’s guts trailing along behind it in a rotten, festering mess.   
“Couldn’t see any, huh?” She quipped at Daryl. He rolled his eyes and raised his crossbow. Mia put her hand in front of it.   
“Save the arrows. I’ve got this” She said, un-holstering her knife and casually walking towards the fetid, dangerous mess in front of her  
As she approached, it’s hands shot out, it’s growl intensified and it lunged towards her but Mia was quicker, ducking and swiping her leg underneath it, knocking it off balance and sending it plummeting to the floor. She stood quickly and rammed her knife into the front of it’s skull with an almighty squelching noise that turned her stomach. As she removed her knife, she noticed movement from behind her. Another Walker had emerged and took a swipe at her arm, she yanked it away and shifted on her feet, bringing her leg up and slamming it into the stomach of the Walker. It fell back a couple of feet, thumped into a tree trunk and allowed her enough time to launch herself at it, bringing her knife around to the right and ramming it in the Walkers ear. A loud gurgling sound emitted from the Walkers throat, causing Mia to wrinkle her nose in disgust. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly with the adrenaline and she giggled as she back away from the scene and turned to face Daryl, who was focused on her every move. The way she carried herself and the way she fought effortlessly impressed him. She certainly could look after herself.  
“Nice work” He mumbled.   
“Thanks” She beamed “They’re getting more and more gross as time goes on. Time to move before all their friends arrive”.   
Mia wiped her knife on the rag in her back pocket and shoved it back in it’s holster on her hip. She jumped in the truck and slammed the door, peering out of the open window.   
“Carry on the way we were going?” She asked as Daryl mounted his motorcycle.   
“Yeah, we’ll have to find somewhere else to get some rest. There’s a small town ‘bout 8 miles west. Follow me” The motorcycle crackled to life, sending a loud booming noise through the woods. Mia noticed two more Walkers enter the clearing in her rear-view mirror and scoffed as they staggered towards the vehicles. Daryl’s bike lunged forwards, kicking up dust and stones as he sped off. Mia pressed ‘play’ on the trucks CD player and shoved her headphones in before putting her foot down and getting the hell out of there.  
The town was deserted, any signs of inhabitants, human, animal or undead were long gone. Mia knew this place, she had been here before. It was a small town surrounded by farmland with a bar, restaurant, church, some small stores and a school. Mia had spent some time holed up in the bar, using the luxury of the barred windows and empty rooms for rent upstairs. She leaned out of the window as they slowly drove past the building.   
“Daryl” She called out, hitting the brake. The bike slowed even further, hanging back until he was level with the trucks window.   
“I’ve been here before, we should stay in there” She nodded towards the Bar. “It’s secure enough and there’s beds”. He accepted the suggestion and moved his bike into the bar’s parking lot. Mia followed in the truck.   
Inside, they checked the building for any lodgers, both of them sneaking through the rooms, weapons at the ready. It was still empty and Mia found it was as she’d left it. She stood with her back to the bar surface and used her arms to heave herself up to sit on top of it. Swinging her legs back and forth, she watched over her shoulder as Daryl picked through the empty bottles behind the bar.   
“All empty. I drank whatever I found. Sorry.” She said. He looked up at her with confusion. “What?! There’s was only half a bottle of bourbon left, it aint like I drank the bar dry!” She laughed. “You should get some sleep. I’ll keep watch for now.” She offered.   
He nibbled on his thumb and thought for a moment before grunting and making his way up the stairs.  
By morning they had swapped and each managed to catch a couple of hours sleep. Daryl had barely said a word since Mia had woken up. He was wandering the hall upstairs when he heard her stir in one of the rooms. Stopping outside and peering through the crack in the door to see if she was awake, he saw her pull her T-shirt off and cross the room to retrieve another from her backpack. Her pale skin glistened in the light, in stark contrast to her black bra and the huge, dark tattooed patterns on her back and round her sides. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, shining in the sunlight from the window. Her body was toned, her stomach flat but muscular, something he put down to her fighting skills. Feeling a stab of guilt for watching her, he quickly moved on towards the stairs.  
He had cracked open a couple of tins by the time she reached the ground floor and was hungrily shovelling food into his mouth with a plastic spoon. He was sat at a large table in the middle of the bar, his crossbow close by on the table top. Mia sat down opposite him and tied her hair into a bun. Daryl slid the other tin across the table to her and slapped another spoon down next to it.   
“Someone’s quiet this morning” Mia said in an attempt to get his attention but to no avail. Daryl just felt awkward and annoyed, especially after what he’d just seen. He cursed himself for indulging in the sight, even if it was just for a second. He stood suddenly, grabbed his crossbow and headed to the door.  
“Where are you going?” Mia called after him.   
“Outside” He spat, removing the wooden bar from the door and hauling it open. Bright sunshine poured in through the open door and lit up the room, highlighting dust spores and flies overhead. Mia shrugged and carried on eating, watching Daryl pace about angrily in the parking lot through a gap in the window.  
When she left the bar, she threw her backpack over her shoulder and slid her sunglasses on. Daryl was sat on the floor by his bike, in the dust, his hands resting on his knees. He was glaring at her through his hair. A cigarette hanging from his mouth. Mia threw her backpack in the passenger seat of the truck and slowly walked over to him.   
“Something wrong, Mr. Dixon?” She asked   
“No” He said firmly.   
Mia pushed her sunglasses upon to her head to allow her to see him better.   
“Doesn’t seem that way.” She said quietly.  
He stood and aggressively threw his cigarette on the floor before kicking the dirt under his feet. “I’m fine! Just shut the hell up and let’s get goin’, good lord!”. He shouted. There it was, Mia thought, the anger that Rick had warned her about. She wondered how much worse it could get, and realised that no matter what she witnessed in him, it didn’t make any difference to that fact that he was one of the good guys. She had seen anger, she had been angry and she had experienced the worst of it at the hands of people she thought she loved. This, was nothing she couldn’t handle.   
After around three hours of driving, Mia saw Daryl’s bike slow and cruise along beside her window. She leaned out.   
“You see that?” He pointed into the distance, over the trees at a distant hilltop, where a makeshift fence had been made. She thought she could make out a sign but it was too far away to read.   
“Yeah, let’s check it out” Mia said.  
They rolled to a stop at the bottom of the hill after passing a blocked road to the top and climbed it in silence, Mia could still feel Daryl seething for some reason. Reaching the top, they crouched behind some rocks and listened for any signs of life. Neither of them heard anything and Mia took the initiative to throw a large rock over the fence. It crashed to the ground with an almighty crack and the sound echoed loudly. Still no movement or noise. Daryl crept forwards, his crossbow raised in front of his face. Once he got to the fence, he lowered it. Mia joined him by his side.   
“Jackpot” she whispered as excitement welled inside her.   
They both stood and stared at the massive superstore through the makeshift chain link fence. The only thing standing between them and possibly the largest scavenging haul ever was about fifty Walkers, all milling about aimlessly in the parking lot. Mia grabbed the fence and started to climb.   
“What the hell are ya doin?” Daryl snapped.  
“Distracting them, while you break in and fill as many carts with the best shit possible. Comprende?”   
“You’ll get killed” He protested. A sly grin crept across her face.   
“And you’ll miss me” She joked, blowing him a sarcastic kiss as she threw her legs over the top of the fence and landed with a thud on her feet.   
“God dammit” He muttered as he followed her over the fence.   
Mia picked up a large twig and turned to face Daryl.   
“Ok, I’ll round the group and make a ton of noise, draw them away from the building, you break in and I’ll meet you inside.”  
“You’re a crazy bitch” He breathed.   
“Yeah, you’ve said before.” She smiled. “Oh, this crazy bitch has a thing for orange soda, so keep your eyes peeled.” She set off along the fence, banging the wood on the posts and yelling loudly.   
“HEY ASSHOLES! LOOKEY HERE! WALKING, TALKING MEAL!”   
Daryl waited on the side lines and moved off as he saw the huge crowd of Walkers following Mia across the parking lot. He was sure she was going to get herself killed if she carried on making impulsive decisions. Taking the opportunity anyway, he ran across to the nearest door and was surprised to find it unlocked. Once inside, he carefully and quietly slinked along the back hallways until he found the front of the store. Disappointment washed over him as he realised that every shelf was empty. They were too late.   
Mia whooped and laughed her way along the perimeter fence, watching the horde of gormless monsters following her like sheep. She whacked the piece of wood on every surface creating as much noise as possible before reaching an abandoned car. Inside, on the passenger seat was a corpse, with some of its clothing still intact. Mia took out her zippo and lit the corpses clothes, standing back as the flames took hold and smoke billowed out if the car. She then crept behind it and waited until the crowd of walkers neared it, crowding around it like wasps around a birthday cake. Once they were close enough, she shot across the parking lot like lightning and found Daryl stood by the section of fence they had climbed over.  
“Tell me you actually went in” Mia sighed, her breath rapid as she recovered from the run.   
“Yeah, it’s empty.” He said, kicking the dirt on the ground.   
“The entire thing?!” Mia said, exasperated.   
“Nothin’ left but price tickets. It’s been picked clean.”  
“Gah!” Mia exclaimed. “Turned myself into a walking buffet and everything” She grabbed the fence and pulled herself over the top. Daryl followed and they walked back to the vehicles. Agreeing to drive for another few hours until they reached the next town. They set off.   
Daryl was restless, even with the sound of the motorbike’s engine droning through his head, his thoughts were consumed with his young, overconfident travelling companion that seemed so at home in this broken world. She didn’t seem to experience fear anymore, if she had ever. She made him feel uncomfortable and unsure of how he felt when he was with her. He had not felt this confused and irritated by anyone else before.


	6. Chapter 6

An abandoned farm house was the next night time stop over. Daryl had been out hunting for a couple of hours, returning with two rabbits. He skinned them in the kitchen and cooked them in the fireplace. Mia would have given anything for a steak right about now, but beggars couldn’t be choosers and she was grateful for anything she could get. They ate in silence and Mia retreated outside onto the porch to smoke. She sat in an old, wooden rocking chair and pushed herself back and forth with her boots on the railing. She puffed out clouds of smoke and watched as it vanished into the night air, occasionally lifting her hand and drawing patterns in the white, noxious mist. She knew Daryl was stood in the doorway, out of her sightline but able to see her. He didn’t know she was aware of his presence.  
  
“Did you like what you saw?” She said casually into the night.  
Daryl stirred and cleared his throat. Sheepishly stepping out onto the porch.  
“Wha?” He said quietly.  
“Ooh, not going to get an answer to that one, am I?” She said “This morning. I know you saw me through the door.” She paused for a moment before continuing “My mother always used to say I have eyes in the back of my head. Nothing gets past me. I was an extremely hyper-aware child…apparently.” She looked at him and saw his eyes were fixed on the floor, refusing to look up at her.  
“Sorry” He uttered “I didn’t me-“  
“Listen, it’s fine. I don’t care.” She took a long drag on her cigarette and exhaled another cloud of smoke. “If anyone’s going to leer at me I’d rather it be you than the likes of Spencer.” She felt a shiver down her spine and moved her shoulders to help it pass.  
“I wasn’t leering. I mean, I saw but-“ Daryl started.  
“Daryl. Relax. I said I don’t care” She interrupted.  
“Should have closed the damn door anyways” He said, sitting on a bench next to her.  
“But then I wouldn’t be able to watch you squirm” She teased, laughing softy. “I’m kidding.”  
Daryl scoffed and looked out into the dark fields opposite the house. Stillness ensued for a while, as they both enjoyed the serenity.  
“Spencer huh?” Daryl said, playing with his hands, and surprising Mia with his question.  
“Ugh, Yeah, he’s got a schoolboy crush on me. I see him staring at me across the street sometimes, finding excuses to talk to me. I don’t wanna be rude, but he’s just isn’t…my type.”  
“Your ‘type’, huh?” He said. Mia shot him a look.  
“Oh, c’mon. You don’t have a type?”  
“I don’t know” He shrugged. Mia rolled her eyes.  
“There must be a type of girl that always gets your attention. My type of guy? Guys with bikes, leather, long hair, kinda…bad”  
Daryl sat and stared at her with a puzzled expression. Mia could suddenly feel his gaze burning into her when she realised what she just said.  
“aaand apparently you fall into that category. Who’d have thought it?!” She laughed and Daryl noticed a slight hint of nervousness in it. Mia was surprised how giddy she felt at this revelation. She had just described Daryl and somehow, she had not noticed just how well he fitted into her ‘type’.  
He smiled clumsily and caught her eye.  
“Ahh, y’know what? Let’s just cut the bullshit. You’re a hottie. Just go with it” She said confidently, brushing aside her giddiness and doing what she did best. Honesty. She saw Daryl blush slightly as he looked away from her.  
“Stop” He mumbled, almost inaudibly.  
Mia grinned to herself in self-satisfaction, drumming her fingertips on the arm of the rocking chair after flicking her smoke out into the front yard.  
“OK, so I’ve embarrassed you enough for one night. You want to get some sleep and I’ll take first watch?” She said. He nodded slightly and stood.  
“G’night” She said, looking up at him. He turned and walked to the door.  
“Hey” He said suddenly. Her head snapped round.  
“Yeah?”  
“Sorry I yelled at you.” He said “I dunno why I…”  
Mia studied his face and she knew in that moment that he’d been building up to saying that all night.  
“That’s OK” She said softy. “I know why you did it”  
He stood motionless in the doorway, his eyes fixed on hers.  
“You were angry because you saw me. You were angry because you couldn’t look away quickly enough, and even though you didn’t answer my question, I know you were angry because you didn’t expect to like what you saw, so you lashed out at me.”  
He looked as though he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words. Shifting his stance and chewing on his bottom lip, before giving up completely and entering the house. Mia sat back in her chair and looked up at the stars.  
“I will break down that wall, Mr. Dixon.” She whispered.  
  
During the night, Mia switched places with Daryl and was thankful to be able to lay her head down for a while. In the Master bedroom, she sprawled out on the bed and closed her eyes, letting her mind drift off and feeling her heavy limbs relax. Undisturbed sleep was a thing of the past, so she was thankful for anything she could get. Although outwardly, Mia’s demeanour was bold and fearless, on the inside, she still felt a steady flow of anxiety that felt like she was constantly clinging to a ledge, waiting to lose her strength and plummet into full blown panic. It was Ok, she told herself time after time. All you have to be, is a great pretender.  
A sound in the distance roused her from her slumber. Low, moaning sounds. Mia shot up and grabbed her knife and held it above her head, her eyes darting to every corner of the room. It was a few seconds before she realized the sound was coming from outside. She ran to the window and gasped.  
  
Downstairs in the living area, Daryl was stoking the fire when Mia appeared at the bottom of the stair case.  
“How many Walkers would you consider to be classed as a herd?” She asked casually.  
Daryl Furrowed his brow.  
“I dunno, more than 50 I guess”  
Mia nodded frantically. “Then there’s around six thousand Walkers heading right for this house. I saw them. I’d say we have 5 minutes before they get here.”  
Daryl quickly walked to the back of the house through the kitchen and peered through the back door.  
“Shit” He said. “Grab everythin’ ya can, food, blankets, weapons. Move!”  
“Where are we going? We can just drive off. Or, shouldn’t we just stay and be quiet?!” She argued.  
“What do ya think is luring them here? They can see the light from the fire in the dark and they’ll only follow the noise from the vehicles. We’ll go to the barn. We gotta move!”  
  
Mia sprang into action, collecting her backpack from a chair in the living room and stuffing it with everything she could find that would be useful before threading her arms through it and positioning it on her back. She sprinted upstairs and snatched the bedsheets from the Master bedroom and threw them over her shoulder, running back downstairs and meeting Daryl in the hall. They could both now hear the first Walkers from the herd shuffling up to the house, their noise becoming louder by the second. Daryl quietly opened the door, turning to Mia and placing a finger over his lips.  
“Shh”  
She stared down at his hand, clamped around her wrist. At first, unaware that he’d even touched her. She wondered when he’d managed to do that without her noticing. Caught up in the strange feeling of his skin on hers, she was pulled forwards onto the porch and they were off, racing quietly towards the barn in the night, blankets trailing behind them.  
  
Daryl let go of her wrist and pushed open the heavy wooden doors to the barn, motioning for her to go on inside. She squeezed through the gap and watched him do the same before he quietly closed the door and threaded a wooden bar through the handles on the back of the doors. Mia scanned the barn; the whole thing was empty except for some bales of hay in the loft at the top. Daryl spun around and paced the floor. He stopped and looked up at the hay loft, unhooking a on oil lantern from a nearby beam and passing it to Mia.  
“Get up there” He ordered. “Go, before they hear us” He took the blankets from her and handed her the lantern as he placed his hand on the small of her back and gently pushed her towards a wooden ladder that led up to the loft. His fingers lightly brushed her skin and she was taken aback by how electric his touch felt. Even in all the panic, she found he was a terrible distraction.  
She climbed the ladder as quickly as she could and stumbled over the Hay bales. The loft wasn’t much bigger than it looked from the bottom, she needed to make room for them and block the wind and cold from blowing through the gaps in the walls, so started to stack the bales up high as Daryl climbed the ladder. Once he was at the top, he helped her lift the bales and pulled the ladder up, sliding it through the wooden beams in the ceiling so they could still access it. The days may have been scorching hot but the nights were freezing, the temperature dropping rapidly when the sun went down. Daryl passed Mia the blankets and she fashioned a small seating area lined with the bedsheet. They both settled down and she pulled the rest of the blankets over their legs and lit the oil lantern, turning the light to the lowest it would go so as to not attract any more Walkers.  
  
The threat had now reached the Barn, surrounding it and Mia expected to hear the door come crashing through any second. But a loud chorus of gurgling and groans filled the air as they slumbered past.  
“You OK?” Daryl asked from beside her, looking at her through his hair.  
“Yeah” She breathed, shaking her backpack off and rummaging inside it and pulling out a candy bar. “Just hungry”  
Daryl frowned and shook his head in disbelief.  
“Ya wanna eat _now _?!”__  
Mia stuffed the candy bar in her mouth and chewed loudly. “Girls gotta eat” She shrugged. Daryl let out a short snort of laughter.  
“Here” Mia said, passing the rest to him. “Keep your energy up”  
He took the half-eaten candy bar, discarded the wrapper and finished it in one mouthful. Mia looked on as he chewed, a grin plastered on her face. He smiled thinly at her and she took it as a thanks.  
“How long do you think we’ll have to stay up here?” She said.  
“However long it takes. No end in sight when I saw ‘em across the way.” He sighed. Mia snuggled down and pulled the blankets up higher, leaning slightly against Daryl’s arm, she felt him tense as she made contact with him. He was obviously not used to being touched by anyone.  
  
Around half an hour passed and the Walker’s noise wasn’t going away. Daryl and Mia were now resigned to the fact that they would probably have to spend the rest of the night where they were. Daryl picked at the Hay bale he was leaning on, breaking up the strands with his fingers and tossing them onto the blanket. Mia lay next to him, snoozing against his muscular arm. He looked down at her face as she slept. Her striking features still apparent in the dim light. He had to admit she was probably the prettiest girl he’d seen in a long time. What he wanted to do with that knowledge, he didn’t even know himself. She stirred against him and opened her eyes. His face was the first thing she saw and she smiled at him.  
“Are they still going?” She whispered.  
“Yeah, not lettin’ up yet”  
She fell quiet again for a moment before using her hands to sit herself up.  
“Daryl” She said.  
“Mm” He grunted.  
“You and Carol…are you guys a thing?”  
His expression changed to confusion.  
“Wha? Naw! We’re friends” He corrected.  
“Ah, so you don’t have a girlfriend?” She asked.  
He stared at her with a look she couldn’t quite read. Was he angry? Daryl had no idea why she was asking this, although he suspected she took great pleasure in making him uncomfortable.  
“No. If you gotta talk, can ya change the subject? Ya ask weird shit at weird times” He snapped. Mia laughed softly and playfully tapped his arm.  
“I don’t have a boyfriend y’know” She said. He glared at her and she noticed the corner of his mouth curl, as if he were stifling a smile.  
“I think you’re annoyin’” He said.  
“You and everybody else that’s ever met me. You’ll get used to me.” She beamed. “It’s cosy up here in the love nest. Screw around?”  
He shook his head again, stifling a laugh. “God Sakes, Stop” He said. Mia chuckled to herself, pleased with herself for making him laugh and clambered to her feet. She pulled her jacket from her bag and shrugged it over her shoulders. Moving slowly, she crept to the edge of the loft and sat on a bale, a leg either side of it. She knew Daryl was watching her, pleased that she was breaking down his firm defence wall.  
“Hey” She heard him say quietly. She looked up at him and saw him get to his feet, shoving his hand in his pants pocket. He stepped towards her and held out his hand. In his grip, was a can of Orange Soda. Mia’s mouth dropped open.  
“Only thing worth takin’ at that superstore” He mumbled. She placed her hand over the can and held her fingers against his.  
“Thank you” She said softly. Her fingers lingering on his for a moment while she held his gaze. Eventually, she took the can and cracked it open and took a long gulp.  
“There just happened to be a one can of Orange Soda left on the shelf?” She asked.  
“Looked in on the staff lounge on my way out. It was in the vending machine”  
She smiled broadly and rested her back against the wall.  
  
The Temperature dropped even further after an hour or so and Mia could see her breath. The herd of Walkers had started to dwindle but some could still be heard making their way past the barn. Despite the biting cold, she was exhausted and longed for sleep. Her eyes grew heavy and she fought to stay awake, slapping her cheeks lightly to shock her eyes back open.  
“Get some sleep, we’re safe enough up here” Daryl said.  
  
Mia slowly climbed from her perch on the hay bale and settled back down in her previous spot. She was so tired her body started to tremble, shivers running down her spine and her skin displaying a covering of goosepimples. She pulled the blankets up to her neck and closed her eyes. She continued to shiver when she heard Daryl sigh.  
  
“Shit. Don’t read anythin’ into this” He whispered, placing his arm over her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. She wriggled against him before settling, grateful for the warmth of his body. As her hand slid across his stomach, she felt him tense again, this time temporarily, relaxing after a few minutes. She drifted off to sleep. Daryl closed his eyes and listened to the moans of the remaining Walkers passing by.  
  
He awoke to the strange sensation of Mia’s head propped up against his chest and her arm still across his stomach. He was not comfortable with so much contact from another person, having not had much of it in his entire life, except that of the violence he’d suffered in the past. But survival was now paramount and it was not only Mia that would benefit from his gesture. Keeping them both from freezing to death was his Priority. He could smell the sweet, fruity fragrance of her shampoo and wondered why it still smelled so good after two days on the road. They had slept through the remainder of the night, huddled together for warmth. Daryl knew he should climb down to the ground and check the coast was clear, but something was keeping him right where he was. The feeling of having someone, especially female wrapped around him was a rare, not unpleasant one.  
  
Mia had woken up before Daryl but was careful not to move too much, ensuring she could enjoy this moment for as long as she possibly could. She now knew she had a thing for him and she had already told him he was her type, either one of them could die at the hands of a Walker so she was going to enjoy this connection while it Lasted. He had told her not to read anything into this and she was sure that his gesture was down to survival, but try as she might, she was struggling not to read into it. He had made the whole thing worse by collecting her a can of Orange Soda and then keeping it to himself for most of the night. Daryl’s head was rested on the top of hers and she could feel his arm had slipped from her shoulders, snaking round her back, his hand was now placed on her waist. She shifted slightly and nuzzled into his chest, hearing the thrum of his heartbeat before feeling his head move from the top of hers. She knew then that he was awake. Why wasn’t he moving?  
  
Daryl quietly inhaled the smell of Mia’s hair and tilted his head back, resting it on the hay bale behind him. The two of them lay like this for a number of minutes, before Daryl sighed and gently attempted to remove Mia’s head from his chest. She slowly sat up, disappointed at the need to move. Squinting at him in the low, morning light that seeped through the cracks in the roof, she thought she saw a brief flicker of a smile cross his face.  
“Morning”  
”Mornin’” He muttered as he stood and grabbed the ladder from the rafters.  
“It’s gone quiet out there, I’ll go check it out” He said. Descending the ladder and leaving Mia alone in the loft.  
  
Realising the coast was clear, Daryl called for Mia to join him on the ground. To avoid alerting the herd with the noise from the engine and bringing them back, they decided to fashion a ramp from a large piece of flat wood so they could put Daryl’s bike on the flatbed of the truck. The herd had broken their way into the farmhouse to get to the light of the fire and demolished most of the house. The only things worth salvaging were some more blankets and blue medical box in the bathroom. Mia pulled a change of T-shirt from her backpack and hopped down the stairs, lifting her dirty clothing over her head and wriggling into the clean shirt as she walked. Daryl sat on the porch outside, studying their maps, he looked up as Mia walked out of the door and quickly looked down again when he saw her black bra and bare stomach as she pulled her T-shirt down. She noticed him shy away from her and sat down on the step beside him.  
“You’re going to have to get used to that. I’m not shy and I’m not fuckin’ about because you are”  
“I aint shy” His voice was gravelly as he protested. He leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees.  
“No…of course not” Mia joked, nudging him in the side. He ignored her sarcasm, deciding instead to change the subject.  
“We should follow this road” He said, pointing to the map. “There’s a town here needs checkin’ out”  
“Okay, I’ll drive.” Mia said. “Um…I wanted to thank you...” She drifted off.  
Daryl glanced sideways at her, his eyes catching hers through his hair. Her skin was flawless, like porcelain except some small, light freckles that peppered her nose. He’d not noticed them before.  
“What for?” He asked.  
“For keeping me warm last night.”  
He hesitated for a moment, unsure of the correct words to choose.  
“S’nothin’. Better than freezin’ to death”  
“Yeah. But it had other perks. It was kinda nice being wrapped up in these” She said, quickly running a finger down his upper arm. “C’mon, let’s get moving” She pushed herself up from the step and wandered to the truck. Daryl stayed put for a moment, his arm tingling where she’d touched him. He folded the maps and started after her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So I'm really pleased people are enjoying the fact that Daryl in my story is very similar to how Norman Reedus plays him. That's something I didn't want to lose. Thank you all for reading, for the Kudos, for the bookmarks and the comments. I always love to know if people are enjoying what I'm writing.

They drove in silence for an hour until Mia asked Daryl to light her a cigarette. He put the smoke between his lips, ignited it and passed it to her, doing the same for himself. Mia balanced it on her lips, occasionally taking in nicotine and exhaling a cloud of smoke. The sun beamed through the windshield, illuminating the dirt and creating a steady warmth in the truck. The sleeves of Mia’s grey T-shirt flapped in the wind as she leaned an arm out of the open window. She knew she was dealing with a closed off individual in Daryl, but he captured her fascination in a way she could barely describe. Sat beside her was a multi-layered person that was somehow consuming her mind. If she were to get anything from this currently pointless trip, she would get to know him better.  
  
“So, tell me about your brother” She said, turning up the CD player but being careful not to make too much noise. Rock music sounded out of the machine, filling the truck’s cab.  
“Whatcha wanna know?” Daryl replied  
“I don’t know, was he a good person?”  
“Naw. Well, kinda. I dunno”.  
Mia laughed slightly “What does that mean?” She said, glancing at him.  
“Underneath it all, all he ever wanted was to protect me. He took a hell of a lot of beatin’s off our dad, so I didn’t have to. I followed him everywhere, but he made shitty decisions. I didn’t see that at the time. He was ma brother, to everybody else he was an asshole.”  
Mia was all too aware that this may have been the most he’d ever said in one go.  
“You’re not like him” She stated, feeling Daryl look over at her.  
“Ya don’t know me” He growled.  
“You think I’d have agreed to go on this trip if I didn’t have you figured out? You’re not like him.” She explained  
“You don’t know anythin’ about me”  
“I know more than you think. We’re not that dissimilar” Mia finished her smoke and threw it out the window as the conversation ground to a halt. Mia kept driving in silence.  
  
  
As she turned onto a dirt track, Mia noticed fresh tyre tracks and brought the truck to a halt. Daryl, who had fallen asleep about 6 miles back, awoke with a start and grabbed his crossbow.  
“What is it?” He asked.  
“Tracks on the road. Recent ones. There could be people ahead” she studied the road in front of them but could see no other signs.  
“We should walk from here” Daryl suggested.  
“We don’t know how far we’d be walking, we don’t want to be too far away from the truck”  
“We’ll also be easier to spot and kill in a truck” Daryl argued.  
Ignoring him, Mia hit the accelerator and edged the truck forwards slowly. The engine seeming louder than ever before. She willed it to be quiet.  
“Stubborn ass woman” She heard Daryl mumble.  
As the truck gradually rolled into a clearing, buildings became visible through the dusty air. Mia stopped the truck and went to open the door. Daryl’s hand shot out and he grabbed her wrist, slowly shaking his head.  
“I got a bad feelin’ ‘bout this” He said.  
Mia opened the glove box and took out her gun. She tucked it into her waistband and pushed the door open.  
“Are you crazy?!” She heard Daryl whisper behind her. She made off along the treeline, watching the buildings carefully and treading lightly.  
  
Daryl Climbed out of the truck and attempted to follow Mia, but now she was out of sight. He followed her tracks in the grass and held his crossbow up to his face, ready to shoot anyone or anything that posed a threat. Eventually, he encountered a building. Creeping up to one of the still intact windows, he crouched below it and jumped up and back down again to catch a glimpse of anything that might be inside. He could see long pig troughs in the middle of the room that were covered in blood and two, armed people by the door. He cursed Mia in his mind for running off like that, now he would have to risk his life going after her, or die in the process. A click caught his attention, along with something cold and hard pressed against the back of his head.  
  
“Get up” A gruff voice said. “Any sudden moves and I’ll blow your brains out.”  
  
Mia had snuck around the buildings and found a back door open in one of them. Against her better judgement, she slinked inside and crouched behind a shelving unit, full of large tubs, pans and dishes. She was in a kitchen. Brushed chrome surfaces around her were full of different sized pots and plates, utensils and jars of what looked like organs. Mia kept low and quietly paced along the long shelf, coming to a stop at the end. Peering around the corner, she held her breath. The centre of the room contained large meat hooks, hanging from the ceiling. On those metal hooks, were human limbs and torsos. Mia’s heart started to pound in her chest, she was certain that if there was anyone else in the room, that they’d be able to hear it too.  
  
“Sick bastards” She whispered to herself.  
  
As her eyes moved to the right corner of the room, she noticed a box of severed heads and felt her stomach start to clench. It was time to leave and she shook her head quickly as if shaking the images out that were now burned into her retinas. Creeping back to the door, she slipped out and scanned what she could see of the rest of the settlement. She noticed someone two buildings down, holding a gun to someone’s head. Sliding her gun into her waistband, she pulled out her knife and squinted...was that? It was…it was Daryl.  
“Oh shit.” She breathed. “Oh shit, oh shit.” She lunged forward and sped off in the direction of Daryl’s attacker, skirting around them both and silently moving up behind him.  
  
Daryl sighed and slowly stood up. The person behind him was male and he could tell by the angle of the gun being held against his head that he was also tall. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way out. His thoughts were interrupted when a loud, squishing sound came from behind him, following by gagging. The gun against his head dropped to the floor and he spun around to see Mia holding the man's arms behind his back. Her knife was embedded in the side of his neck and blood coursed out from the wound. Her face was twisted into a grimace. Daryl looked on in shock, the man Mia had managed to overpower was at least six feet tall and not a thin frame. Snapping out of it, he lunged forward to help her but she frantically shook her head, telling him to stay put. She pulled the man back slightly and as he stumbled back onto her. He grappled with her hands to twist from her grip and get a hold of her but she continued to clamp his wrists behind him, using her bodyweight to keep him still. She gathered her strength and with one giant heave, she twisted the knife in his neck. The action emitting a wet, cracking sound that shot through her mind and turned her stomach. She looked at him in disgust and threw him to the floor and glanced down at her blood covered weapon. Crimson liquid covered her hands and dripped from her fingertips.  
  
“You OK?” She breathed, shaking her hands and re-holstering her knife.  
Daryl just looked between her and the dead man on the ground.  
“Well, that was number 10. We have to leave here. They’re…they’re eating people” Mia said, trying to catch her breath.  
“What?”  
“They have arms and legs, all hung up on meat hooks like some fuckin butchers” She said, her eyes wild. “This isn’t the first place like this I’ve encountered and I'm sure it isn't for you either. Let’s go before anybody else spots us” She turned and ran back into the trees.  
Daryl followed, quietly seething at Mia for even getting them into this in the first place.  
  
They climbed into the truck and Mia reversed all the way out onto the main street. She drove as fast as she could for miles, minimizing any chances of them being found by anyone that may want to turn them into dinner. Eventually, she spotted a house in the distance and turned down the road leading to it. Daryl had not said a word since they’d escaped and Mia could sense that he was angry with her. She brought the truck to a stop and Daryl got out first. Mia went to follow him and the two of them checked the house. There were two walkers inside, an elderly couple by the look of them. Daryl took them both out with his crossbow and they removed the bodies from the house.  
  
Mia stood in the kitchen, her head buried in a cupboard full of tins of food. Non-perishables which were actually a good find. She stacked them all in a box and closed the cupboard door. Daryl was stood in front of her.  
“Was stupid of you, y’know” He said, his voice low and angry.  
“What was?” She questioned.  
“First ya ignore me, then ya ran off alone. If you'd listened, maybe I wouldn’t have had a goddamn gun held to my head”  
Mia stood up straight and looked at him. She was not about to be intimidated.  
“We both coulda’ been killed out there!” His voice was rising. “If we’re gonna work together ya gotta listen to me and stop being such a fuckin brat!”  
“I survived on my own for a long time, Daryl. I knew what I was doing.”  
“Yeah? You wouldn’t be saying that if he’d shot me!” He yelled, pacing the kitchen floor. Mia slowly walked out into the hall on the way to the living area when she heard him speak again  
“Stupid ass bitch” he hissed.  
Mia’s eyebrows shot up.  
“There he is” She said calmly. “There’s your brother”  
Daryl froze for a few seconds. His hands balled up into fists. Then he flew at her, slamming her back to the wall and pinning her wrists either side of her head. Her back hummed with pain and her heart jumped but she still didn’t feel fear, she was more intrigued by this sudden outburst of anger towards her.  
  
“Damn, at least buy me a drink first” She smirked.  
  
His face hovered above hers, rage in his eyes she could feel the warmth of him on her skin and hear his laboured, heavy breathing. He glared angrily into her eyes and held her there for what seemed like forever. Mia was confident she could get herself out of this position with some quick thinking and a well-placed knee but instead, chose not to. Knowing that she should let it run its course.  
  
“Either punch me or kiss me, Daryl. I know you want to do one of them more than the other.” She whispered at him.  
  
He studied her face for a moment and she noticed his breathing start to slow. He moved even closer and she was surprised when he gently rested his forehead on hers. Heat from his skin radiated through her. With her wrists still pinned to the wall, Daryl closed his eyes and fought with the urge to kiss her and pull away from her at the same time. Their lips were millimetres apart. Mia toyed with the idea of kissing him first, but understood that if this was going to happen, it had to be on his terms. He was not your average guy. She was sure this was one of the most intimate moments of her life, without actually being intentionally intimate at all. She listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing, still more rapid and heavy than her own and felt him slowly move down, his face now level with hers. He opened his eyes and Mia smiled. She tried gently to tug one of her wrists from his grasp but his angry grip was like a vice. Daryl moved to her neck, burying his face in her hair and breathing her in. Mia couldn’t help it, the situation was so intense and sensual, her breath caught in her throat and a slight groan escaped her lips. His lips tickled her collarbone as he moved lower still, he was barely touching her but sending shockwaves to her nerve endings. He stopped moving and she felt his grip loosen. All at once, he had let her go and was now stood in front of her, looking at the floor, his hair hung loosely over his face.

  
“Daryl” Mia said softly, reaching out to him. He flinched away and turned his back to her, almost in shame. Mia was a confident person who was both observant and an excellent judge of character. She could usually read people like books, but in this particular moment, she was struggling to figure out what was going on in that head of his. Daryl was complicated, that much was true.  
For the first time in as far back as she could remember, she was in a situation which meant she didn’t know what to do next. She opened her mouth slightly, as if to speak, but couldn’t find the words. They stood in the thick, awkward atmosphere, Mia thought it felt like an eternity. She considered walking away, but didn’t want him to think she didn’t care about what had just happened.  
Daryl had no idea what was going on. He felt angry at himself and Mia, but ashamed for allowing things to go as far as they had. It had now created a feeling of something else entirely. Stood in the hallway and staring at the floor, he urged himself to do something, to say something.  
“Sorry” Daryl uttered, almost inaudibly. “I-I didn’t mean…”  
Mia touched his arm lightly and was shocked to discover that he was trembling. He flinched away from her.  
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you earlier. You were right, if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have almost got shot.” She said, giving him a pass from the situation. She stepped closer to him and inhaled deeply “I did save your ass though. I guess I kinda like having you around”. Reluctantly, and against everything her heart and body was telling her to do, she left him stood in the hall and made her way upstairs.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Let me know if people are still reading and enjoying this. Thanks for all the lovely comments so far!

Two days had passed and they had still found nothing more than a box of canned goods and a buck that Daryl had managed to hunt. The decision was made by both of them to head back to Alexandria, so they’d been moving back through the night time stop over locations they had previously used. Conversation was strained and Daryl would barely look at her unless he had to. She knew he felt awkward about what had happened.

Back in the bar, the first place they had stopped, Daryl watched as Mia danced around the tables with her headphones on. The music in her ears filled her soul, making her spirit sing. She closed her eyes and flung her arms up in the air. 

To him, she was carefree, uncomplicated, unabashed and nothing like him, no matter how much she protested that they were alike. In a way, he envied her ability to find the fun in everything. Physically, she was everything he would have wanted before survival became his first priority. He knew it was quite possible that she was the most attractive woman he had ever seen and had no doubt that had he seen her pre-apocalypse, he would have admired her from afar but would never have spoken to her, a woman like her wouldn’t have looked at him twice. He had no intentions to tell her how beautiful he thought she was. He had never been good with women anyway, unsure how to speak to them and living in Merle’s shadow. 

They hadn’t spoken about what happened in the hallway of the abandoned house. Mia had designs on talking about it, but was trying to find the right time. During the night, she couldn’t sleep. The feel of Daryl’s forehead against hers and his face buried in her neck went over and over in her mind. If she closed her eyes and thought hard enough, she felt like she was back there again, him breathing against her, her longing for him to kiss her. Her wrists tingled where he had hold of them. Driven mad by her memories of the event, she descended the stairs to the bar where Daryl was slumped in a chair, his feet up on a table. He looked up as he saw her walk down the stairs. 

“I can’t sleep” She said, approaching him and tapping his boot, motioning for him to remove his feet. She climbed up onto the table and sat right in front of him, leaned forwards on her knees.  
“Daryl, we need to talk about what happened at the house the other night” She said, clasping her hands in front of her. Daryl’s eyes grew wider when he realised he was going to be forced to talk about such an awkward thing.  
“Aint nothin’ to talk about” He said sharply.  
“Yes, yes there is. Because this is the reason I can’t get any sleep.” Mia admitted. “I’m sorry I said what I did, about your brother. I was out of line. The consequences…weren’t all bad though.  
“What do ya want me to say?” He said, getting up from his seat and sighing with exasperation “I’m not good at this shit”  
Mia knew she was going to have to help him out here and she was going to need a certain degree of patience and understanding.  
“Alright, just answer my questions then”. He shot her an annoyed look and shrugged, which Mia took as a signal to go ahead.  
“Did you want to kiss me?” She asked.  
Daryl looked extremely uncomfortable and frantically walked up and down in front of the bar. Mia stood up and caught his arm, bringing him to a stop.  
“Did you want to kiss me?” She repeated. Then waited patiently. He looked all around, his eyes darting everywhere but her face. His breathing quickened and Mia realised that he had probably never had to have a conversation like this before. A few seconds passed and she still waited, giving him all the time he needed. Finally, He shrugged, still refusing to meet her eye and wiping his face with his hand.  
“I…I don’t know”  
“Okay. Well…I wanted you to.”

Daryl finally met her eyes, she suspected it was because he was trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. She brushed his hair from his face and felt him flinch slightly at her touch. She felt an overwhelming urge to throw her arms around him but something was telling her that he’d most likely run away like a scared animal if she came on too strong. 

“What stopped you?” She pressed. Another minute went by while he gathered his thoughts and attempted to put them into words.  
“I told ya I aint good at this stuff” He replied, shaking his head. There was a long silence, Mia deciding to let him think.  
“I was mad, I dunno what happened. I didn’t mean to make ya uncomfortable” He finally said. 

Now, she wanted to lay her cards on the table. No more tip toeing around the issue. She wanted to address the elephant in the room and be brazen enough not to think anything of it. But she knew that strategy would got get her anywhere. She stood close to him but not close enough to freak him out. She knew she had to be careful, his unwillingness to talk about this meant he would probably run off. So, she decided to keep it to the point. Her voice soft and quiet. 

“I promise you, what I felt was not discomfort, Daryl.”

His expression changed to what looked like surprise, Mia saw his eyebrows raise for a second and decided to carry on.  
“You could have cut the sexual tension between us that night with that pretty hunting knife of yours. Look, I don’t want you to slam me against a tree in the moonlight or talk about your feelings for hours, it doesn’t have to turn into anything. I just wanted you to know that whatever that was, It’s alright.”

Daryl tilted his head to the left slightly and marvelled at the confusing yet alluring creature in front of him and couldn’t help but wonder why she was showing any interest in him. He had nothing to offer a woman like her and embarking on any kind of romantic endeavour was so far off his radar it was something he had never even considered. But with her stood in front of him, with her icy blue eyes, full lips and light freckles, telling him that he had taken her breath away, he had allowed himself a small indulgence. He was afraid of nothing. Walkers, cannibals, murderers, violence. But her, she frightened him into acknowledging feelings he never even knew he had. He wanted to touch her and was almost certain that she would not protest. But such a move was an extremely bold one for Daryl, so he proceeded with caution and found that she jolted slightly when his fingers made contact with her waist, anxiety shot through him and he tried to steady his hand. 

She jumped slightly when she felt his hand on her waist. He was touching her voluntarily. Not for warmth, not because he was angry and confused. Because he’d chosen to. Because he wanted to. She didn’t scare easily, but this had shocked her. She couldn’t quite read his expression, it remained stoic and in that moment, it didn’t matter, she was going to enjoy this. He slowly slid his hand around to the small of her back, settling lightly on top of her T-shirt and she noticed his hand was shaking slightly and his breath was shallow and quick. 

“You don’t scare me Daryl Dixon.” She whispered. “But I think I scare you”. 

 

Sigmund Freud once said “Unexpressed emotions will never die, they are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.” Emotions are what drive us, what help us make sense of everything. They are what makes us human and denying them, repressing them, shoving them into a box, can eventually turn us into beasts. Daryl had never had a reason to allow himself to feel anything. Emotions only complicated his life and served to get him into trouble before. In recent weeks, he had lost both his brother and friends. Carol had told him that he needed to let himself feel it. Try as he might, he still wasn’t sure how to do that. Or if he even wanted to. 

Mia had always allowed herself to feel everything deeply. But that was both a blessing and a curse. Not every emotion is a good one. To her, comfort in expressing how she felt allowed her to show the best of herself to others. But it was a lesson that took years to master and she was always careful to never let her emotions overpower her intelligence, which she relied upon greatly for her survival. 

Daryl pulled away from Mia, something in him had changed and he searched the far corners of his mind to try and figure out what as he withdrew his hand from her waist and dropped his head, his hair obscuring his face. Mia took his as a cue to back off. She didn’t want to push him and considered the events of the last few minutes to be an absolute triumph. She stepped back and gave him some space. The silence between them was deafening. 

“Why don’t you get some sleep?” Mia said, her voice sounding louder than it was in the heavy, tedious atmosphere. Daryl grunted and rubbed his stubbly chin with his hand.  
“I’ll wake you at sunrise, then we can take your bike off the truck. We should put some pressure on the gas on the way back, I don’t know about you, but I could really use a shower and a beer.”  
She saw him nod quickly before turning and making his way to the stairs. He caught her eye as he climbed up to the bedroom, his eyes fixed on hers the whole way. 

 

Mia sat outside in the parking lot as the sun came up. Her back was against the wall of the bar and she took long drags of her cigarette, blowing the smoke upwards into a puffy cloud above her head. The sky was an intense bright orange, hues of pinks powdered the horizon and the only sounds she could hear came from the birds nesting in the trees that surrounded the town. She drew her jacket tighter around her waist, the crisp morning air was biting at her skin, the warmth from the sun not quite reaching her yet. She replayed her conversation with Daryl over and over again, trying to process everything logically. She knew that she was going to have to tread lightly from now on and respect that he needed time. To avoid placing him in any more intense and confusing situations, she was going to leave the ball in his court. The only problem was, if she was strong enough to behave herself. 

Daryl emerged half an hour later, chewing loudly on the contents of a tin of food. He stood in the doorway and squinted in the sun as he stuck his finger in the tin, trying to dislodge more food from the inside of the container. He looked over at her and gave her a polite nod in acknowledgement. 

“Hey” Mia said quietly. “You get any sleep?”  
“Not much” He admitted. “Kinda restless.”  
She pushed herself to her feet and dusted her jeans down. Finishing her cigarette, she tossed the end across the parking lot and wriggled her sunglasses out of her coat pocket. Her view of him became clearer as she placed them over her eyes, the sun finally beating down on both of them.  
“Yeah…you and me both”. She said, almost to herself.

Once they’d both eaten, they removed Daryl’s bike from the back of the truck and decided they wanted to be back in Alexandria before nightfall. Mia drove quickly but steadily, Daryl cruising along beside her truck on his bike. She noticed him glance over at her every now and then, as she sang along to the music in her truck. The trip had been a disappointment as far as it’s purpose was concerned but she felt she had broken down a few barriers between them both and she was beginning to understand him more. Which, since she had discovered she liked him as a lot more than just a travelling companion, was a good thing. 

On the scavenging side, they had managed to find a large box of non-perishable food in jars, tins and airtight containers. Daryl had hunted a deer and numerous rabbits and they had picked up some basic first aid equipment, which included some antibiotics from the wrecked farmhouse. It wasn’t completely fruitless but Mia quietly cursed herself for not bringing back her usual impressive horde and for not being able find any trace of anyone that didn’t want to kill them, cook them and eat them. 

As the gates to Alexandria rumbled open, Daryl crept his bike through the entrance and pulled it to the side of the road in front of the pantry before dismounting and kneeling down to check his tyres. Mia’s truck stopped just behind him and she jumped out of the cab and rounded the back, unhooking the flatbed door and heaving the heavy box towards her. It was heavier than she remembered, or perhaps she was just exhausted. She stopped for a moment and looked around, people milled about the sidewalks, kids played on the street corner. She could smell the faint smell of cookies (as usual) and the sound of Olivia, singing to herself in the pantry drifted up the steps and down the street. On the pantry side of the main road, things were quiet and her and Daryl were the only people out on the sidewalk. On first appearances, it looked like any other suburban street on a Spring afternoon. Its dark reality hidden by it’s orderly and polite façade. 

“Need a hand?”  
Mia spun around, startled. She saw Spencer grinning at her. She sighed and rolled her eyes.  
“No thanks, I got it.” She answered, turning back to the box and leaning forward to grab its handle.  
“C’mon, Let me help. I’m sure you’re tired” He said and stepped towards her. She sensed sarcasm in his voice and tension between them as she turned her head to look at him. His face no longer displayed the usual try hard, overpolite expression he always portrayed. Now it was different. It was sinister. She turned back to the truck and went for the handle again.

“Spencer, honestly, I’m fi-” She started to explain. Her words vanished from her mind as she felt his hand slide aggressively over her ass and down between her legs. Instead of freezing in fear, which she would have done years ago, she tensed her arm and slammed the back of her hand across his face as her body turned towards him. The impact made a loud slap that echoed across the street. His head snapped to the side and he stumbled backwards, almost knocked off his feet by the ferocity of her efforts.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?! Since when did I give you permission to touch me?!” She yelled as his hand shot up to his face, which was showing a rapidly reddening mark across his cheekbone. Anger bubbled in her chest and she glared at him with disdain. 

“HEY!” She heard Daryl yell from behind her. Before she could even register it, he was a total blur as he ran past the truck and launched himself at Spencer, knocking him to the ground with a powerful right hook. Mia scanned the street, everyone had stopped what they were doing and were now gawping in amazement at the spectacle before them. Daryl was now on top of him, raining punches down on him with furious intensity and splattering blood across the road. One, Two, Three, Four, Five... Mia’s instincts kicked into gear and she sprang forward, grabbing Daryl’s shoulders. 

“Stop, Daryl” She said calmly as his hands stopped punching and gripped Spencer’s throat instead. She could hear his breathing, heavy and quick as he glared down, watching the air drain from his body.  
“Daryl” Mia purred in his ear. “You don’t have to do this. It’s OK. I’m OK. Let him go.”  
Daryl’s grip loosened as Mia heard footsteps approaching them rapidly.  
“C'mon, it's OK, let him go” She said again, rubbing her thumb over the skin on the top of his arm in an attempt to soothe his anger. She glanced up to see a worried Deanna and Rick running towards them. She held a hand up to stop them from interfering, hoping they would trust that she had the situation under control. They slowed to a walk and stopped a few feet away.  
“Daryl. Let him go” Mia repeated in the same cooing tone. She sighed in relief as his hands withdrew and Spencer rolled onto his side, coughing violently. His eye and lip split and his nose broken from the punches. 

Mia looked at Rick and he saw in her eyes that it was time for him to step in. He quickly took hold of Daryl and Deanna helped Spencer to his feet. Blood stained the front of his clothing as she wiped his bleeding nose with his sleeve. She noticed that Spencer had managed to get a punch in and caught Daryl’s eye, turning it bright red.

“So that’s why you’ve been such a bitch!” Spencer shouted “You’re screwing the redneck! I should have guessed, match made in trailer trash heaven, right?”  
Something in Mia snapped and she began to yell at the top of her voice. 

“Oh, so that’s what I am now? Trash?! You sure as hell didn’t have me branded as Trash all the times you’ve been trying to fuck me since I got here. You’re wrong, Spencer, I’m not screwing him, but I’d take the Redneck over you any day. He’s more of a man than you’ll ever be. Besides, I don’t fuck entitled pussies who think it’s OK to grope women because they’re shit at small talk.” 

Her throat was hoarse from shouting and rage bubbled in her chest. Daryl lunged forwards again, attempting to twist himself from Rick’s grasp, but he held on tight, knowing Daryl’s strength and whispering something in his ear. 

“Spencer, that’s enough. Back to the house, now” Deanna said firmly. Spencer turned to leave.  
“Hey, asshole!” Daryl shouted after him. “You touch her again and I’ll fuckin’ kill you”

Rick held Daryl as tightly as he could until Spencer and Deanna were out of sight. The two men still struggling against each other, Daryl’s anger continuing to fuel him. Rick carried on whispering to him and Mia could hear him referring to him as ‘brother’. She stood on the side-line for a few minutes and waited until everything calmed down, herself included. Rick, who had taken on the role of constable for the community, finally released Daryl and stepped in front of him. 

“Are we good here?” He said, forcing Daryl to look him in the eye. Sweat beaded on his forehead and ran down his temples as Daryl nodded.  
Rick turned to Mia and placed a hand on her shoulder. His face sympathetic and non-judgemental.  
“You alright?” He asked.  
“Yeah, I’m good. Just…mad” She replied, shaking her head briefly in disbelief.  
“He didn’t hurt you?” Rick said.  
“No, He didn’t have a chance to. I hit him pretty hard…well before ‘fists’ over there laid into him.”  
“Ok, I’ve gotta go and talk to Deanna and Spencer, I’ll come by later and we can talk then. Get yourself back to your house” He said. As he went to walk away, he looked at the panting, anger ridden archer, who was now pacing about in the road and scoffed before heading to Deanna’s place. 

Mia had to admit, she was pretty shocked at Daryl’s fierce defence of her and just how angry he had become at the fact that Spencer had groped her. She would have expected some harsh words at least, but the showdown that ensued was something that had taken her off guard and she wondered if he was that defensive over all women, or if there was something underlying which meant he just couldn’t control himself. 

“Daryl…” she uttered as she moved closer to him. He was still pacing, only the area he was covering had decreased in size.  
“Wait, just stop for a second” She pleaded. He glanced up at her, looking down again after seeing the desperate look on her face. He reluctantly stood still and lowered his head. Mia went to take his hand and he quickly and very deliberately yanked it away.

“Don’t” He said with a certain degree of force. Turning on his heels and heading back to his Bike. Mia remained in her spot as she watched him kick-start it and ride up the street to his house.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad people are still enjoying this. I panic when it goes quiet! I really love writing this, especially for Daryl's character.  
> This is a real slow burn so stick with it. We all know Daryl is a bit out of his depth ;)

In the 2 hours after the altercation in the street, Mia had gone to the Pantry to drop off her scavenging load before going home. She showered, unpacked her things and had cooked some pasta in the Kitchen when she heard a knock at the door. She padded across the house, drawing her black hoodie around her waist, her long hair plaited into a braid. Peering through the glass in the door, she noticed it was Rick. She smiled broadly as she opened the door. 

“Hey, come in” She said, opening the door wider and moving aside, Rick stepped into the house and immediately caught sight of all the posters on the walls, all the trinkets and the personalisation of the place.  
“Can I get you a drink? Coffee, Tea, Beer?” Mia asked.  
“No, thank you. I’m not expecting to have to stay long. I just came to get your account of what happened and make sure you’re alright”  
Mia gestured to the couch and watched as Rick obliged and settled down. She perched on the arm of a large chair opposite him.  
“Well, I’m fine, thank you for asking. I’ve dealt with worse than Spencer in my life.” She started “He’s been watching me for a while, finding excuses to talk to me. I made it clear I wasn’t interested. I’m pretty sure I was bordering on plain rude the last couple of times we spoke, so why he thought I’d want to communicate with him anymore is beyond me. He approached me in the street, behind my truck, and offered to help me. I declined and went to carry on when I felt him put his hand on me. Grabbed my ass and put his hand between my legs. At the time I wished I had teeth down there. Asshole.”  
Rick’s jaw clenched. Leaning forwards on his elbows, he rubbed his hands together slowly.  
“Spencer denies he touched you. But I'm not stupid and I know Daryl, he’s fiercely protective of the women in his life and wouldn’t have gone at him like that for no reason. His story matches yours. Even Deanna accepts that spencer has maybe acted impulsively and you stand to gain nothing by lying. Deanna will decide what to do with him. ”  
Mia picked at her ripped black jeans and nodded in acknowledgement. She wondered if Daryl had calmed down yet and if he would want to see her.  
“Have you seen him? Daryl?” She asked.  
“Yeah, I’ve just come from the house”  
“Is he OK?”  
“He's fine. He has a black eye, but he’s had worse. He asked after you.”  
Mia smiled at the knowledge that he’d been thinking of her enough to ask how she was and dropped her gaze to her lap.  
“Anyway, I’ll get out of your hair now. If you need anything, you know where to find me.” He said, standing up and making his way to the door. Mia followed him.  
“Oh, and nice work getting Daryl to let go of Spencer like that. He doesn’t usually listen to many people when he’s angry.”  
Mia grinned mischievously. “He has a soft spot for me, he just doesn’t know it yet” 

Rick laughed and opened the door, stepping out onto the porch. Mia waved him off and squinted into the sunlight, seeing someone else pass Rick on the path. As the new person came into view, she realised it was Carol and she was carrying a dish of something. Mia moved outside, onto the porch and closed the front door behind her. The warm evening air brought a pleasant breeze and the sun dipped below the houses, leaving orange rays shooting between the buildings. She sat on the swing chair and patted the space next to her as Carol walked up the steps. 

“Hi Mia” Carol chirped as she sat down. “I brought you something. Cherry pie. Made it myself”  
Mia loved Cherry pie. Her eyebrows shot up and a grateful smile crept across her face.  
“No shit! My favourite! Thanks Carol” She took the dish and peeled back the foil, inhaling the sweet, freshly baked smell.  
“You’re welcome, thought you might need cheering up” She said, sitting back in her seat and looking out onto the street.  
“Nah, I’m OK. But I’ll always take a sympathy Cherry Pie. How’s Daryl?” She asked, knowing they lived together and were close. She also knew Daryl was the real reason Carol was sat next to her on the porch. She looked at Mia and half smiled.  
“Oh, he's fine. His eye looks worse than it is and he's still angry, but that’s Daryl. He feels everything pretty hard, takes him a while to come around.”  
“Yeah, I noticed that about him.”  
“So, how was your trip? I asked him, but he’s a man of few words.” She said, placing her boot on the railings and gently pushing, to make the swing move back and forth in a gentle rocking motion.  
“It didn’t turn up many results. Got some food, meds, a tin of band-aids.” Mia thought for a second, before getting to the point she really wanted to make. “I like him, Carol.”  
A short silence made her comment seem a lot louder than she intended it.  
“He’s complicated as hell and he called me a bitch like five, times in four days but he’s selfless, brave, interesting, _sexy _as hell and…” She hesitated__  
“And what?” Carol pressed  
“…He’s fuckin’ terrified of me. I mean, I don't blame the guy, I'm pretty full on. But I'm not going to bite unless he asks!”  
Carol raised an eyebrow, laughed softly and patted Mia’s knee affectionately.  
“Daryl hasn’t had many women in his life, neither has he ever been able to express how he feels, because he doesn’t allow himself to feel much other than anger. Anger is all he’s ever known and breaking the habits of a lifetime can be scary. Once he decides that he can connect with you, he will protect you with his life. Apparently, he's decided that already with you, he may have a black eye but I heard he kicked Spencer’s ass.”  
Mia laughed and they both sat quietly for a couple of minutes in each other’s company, gently swinging back and forth.  
“He would have beaten Spencer up if it happened to you too” Mia mused.  
“Yes, he would have” Carol said “But he’s known me a lot longer. You must have made quite the impression on him. Daryl didn't have the best start in life. He's broken, and the thing about the broken is that they love so much harder than others. Once you’ve been in the dark, you learn to appreciate the light in everything. Be patient with him. Don’t give up on him. God knows he needs a woman like you.” Mia looked at Carol and smiled suspiciously. "This is what you do isn't it? To get information out of people. You feed them really nice pie and they just...talk"

____

Mia decided to keep the details of what had happened on their trip a secret. It was their secret and it should remain that way. Carol stayed for a while and the two of them discussed what life was like before, swapped cooking ideas and Carol told her about how Daryl had risked his life to find her missing daughter, only to discover she had been bitten and turned. Hearing the story only served to fuel Mia’s affection for Daryl. The unlikely hero from the start that would kill for the people he considered to be his family. 

When the sun went down, Mia sat in the same place on the porch. The windows to the living room open so she could hear her music. She sipped a glass of Red Wine while she watched Daryl across the street, who was also sat on his front porch, smoking. She had changed into a long, black gypsy skirt and a thick, purple off the shoulder sweater, her bare feet tucked underneath her as she picked at a portion of cherry pie in a bowl with a spoon. She noticed that Daryl’s house now had proper furniture on the front porch, Carol’s doing no doubt. He sat on a wicker chair against the wall, his feet up on a table. Mia was sure he knew she was there, but had chosen not to acknowledge her. She stood and hopped down the stairs, her bare feet sinking into the grass as she crossed the space in between the houses and floated down the street, her skirt grazing the ground as she walked. Approaching Daryl’s house, he looked up and then away again and she knew she would not be graced with a greeting. She slowly climbed the steps and stood in front of him. His eye was purple and swollen and she felt a pang of guilt. He removed his feet from the table and remained slumped in the chair. Mia inhaled and gathered her thoughts. 

“I know you probably don’t want to talk to anyone right now, least of all, me... and that’s OK” She said, playing with the side of her skirt as she spoke. “So just listen for a minute and then I’ll go.”  
His eyes lifted and caught hers. He chewed his lip and tapped his cigarette with his finger, wispy ash floating down to the porch floor.  
“You’ve done a lot of talking with your fists in your life, I can tell because I have too. I also know the consequences, your eye, the rage that takes hours to subside. I get that. I mean, I could have taken him and I really wanted to hit him some more but… What I’m trying to say is, you did it for me. You defended my honour…and I’m grateful. So, thank you.” She bit her lip and turned before walking back down the stairs. 

“Hey” She heard his gruff voice from behind her. She looked over her shoulder  
“He hurt you?” He asked.  
“No, he didn’t” She replied.  
“Promise me somethin’?” He said.  
“What am I promising?” She smiled softy.  
“He touches you again, if anyone touches you, you tell me”  
Her heart jumped at his fierce need to protect her, remembering what Carol had said about him now knowing her for that long. She couldn’t hide her smile.  
“I promise” She beamed before heading back home. 

In the morning, Mia had been invited to a meeting at Deanna’s. She knew it would be to discuss the events from the previous day and if she was honest with herself, she would rather have stuck pins in her eyes but still understood the need to clear the air. She also wanted to know what was going to happen to Spencer. 

She pushed the door open and let herself into the hallway, voices could be heard in the living room. She hesitated for a moment before going in, just as she was about to turn the door handle, she was stopped by the front door clicking shut.  
Daryl stood awkwardly in the hall, his eye now fiercely dark and painful looking. Seeing him gave her butterflies, every single time. She ran her hand through her hair and smiled at him before entering the living room. 

Deanna and Rick were stood behind the chesterfield and Spencer stood by the window as Mia and Daryl entered the room. Deanna moved to sit at a large desk in the corner of the room while Rick stayed put. Mia and Daryl remained by the door.

“Thank you for coming” Deanna said, her eyes moving to her son. “Spencer”  
Spencer’s jaw was pulled tight although his expression was sheepish. His face was puffy and purple with deep bruises and lacerations to his lips and cheek. His left eye was completely black and almost swollen shut. Mia felt smug that he looked so much worse than Daryl. Spencer slowly walked towards her and stood in front of her. 

“You didn’t have to be such a rude bitch every time I tried to talk to you” He spat. Daryl stepped in front of Mia, shielding her. She felt a rush of endearment for him for being so eager to make sure she wasn’t hurt. She was shocked at the audacity of Spencer. Still thinking he was in the right after what he did. He really was an entitled prick. A shameless smirk spread across her face.

“You better watch your mouth, sunshine” Daryl growled.  
“Spencer” Deanna’s authoritative voice cut through the air. “This is not what we discussed.”  
“Call your guard dog off” Spencer ordered, glaring at Mia over Daryl’s shoulder.  
“No” Mia said confidently. Daryl stayed put, ensuring that if anyone was to get to Mia, they were going through him first. “I think I’d like my Redneck Guard Dog to stay where he is”  
“Just say what you have to say, Spencer” Rick intercepted from across the room.  
Spencer sighed and rolled his eyes.  
“Fine. I’m sorry about what I did. It won’t happen again.” 

It was the most insincere apology Mia had ever heard but she accepted it was the best she was going to get. Daryl stood firmly, his eyes never leaving spencer’s. Mia placed a hand on his shoulder and he eventually moved aside. Mia stepped forward and stood right in front of Spencer.  
“Your god damn right it won’t happen again. You would be wise not to underestimate me, you silver spoon prick. Not only could I break your fucking legs quicker than you can say ‘sexual harassment’, I also made a promise to my ‘guard dog’ here that if you ever touched me again, I would inform him straight away. So, thanks for the fake apology, I’ll remember it.”

She saw Rick stifle a smile on the other side of the room, turning his head slightly to avoid Deanna seeing it. Spencer’s gaze bore into Mia’s soul before Deanna snapped him out of it.  
“Spencer, you are to remain under house arrest until further notice. The only time you are to leave the house is for guard duty. You are not to go near Mia again. Mr. Dixon, violence in this community is not acceptable, no matter the reason. We deal with issues in Non-violent ways and if you are found to be fighting again, there will be consequences. Same with you, Mia. You will not resolve any problems by throwing punches or breaking legs. Do you understand?”  
Daryl nodded politely at Deanna although Mia knew that inside he was raging. She did the same, giving Rick a cheeky wink as well. 

“Is that it? Can I go now?” Mia asked.  
“Yeah, sure” Rick said.  
She turned on her heels and left the room, hopping out into the sun and pulling a cigarette out of her jeans pocket. She flipped her zippo and lit the end, inhaling deeply and feeling her muscles relax.  
“Can I get one o’ those?”  
She heard Daryl say from behind her. She offered him the packet and watched as he lit the cigarette, a smile emerging on her face. Mia laughed.  
“What?” He said  
“Guard Dog” She giggled and was relieved to see him smirk.  
“Hey, you want some cherry pie? Carol made it for me” She asked, expecting him to decline.  
“Yeah, OK” he answered. 

Mia placed the Dish of Cherry pie in the middle of the dining table and her and Daryl sat opposite each other. She handed him a spoon and they picked their way through what was left. Daryl shovelled large amounts of pie into his mouth, licking his lips and picking up crumbs from the table with his fingers. Mia watched him closely, the way he seemed to do everything with such enthusiasm fascinated her and she wondered how he managed to remain so constantly stoic when inside him must be a plethora of emotions and feelings that never reach the surface. Part of her wished she possessed the ability to do the same, although her willingness to embrace everything she felt had served her well at crucial points in her life. Mia didn’t realise that she had been staring at him for a few minutes. 

“What?” He said, a mouthful of pie.  
“Sorry, I…didn’t realise I was staring. You’re hot, so I get distracted.”  
Mia realised she needed to assert more control over what came out of her mouth. She was so used to saying the first thing that popped into her head, that now she found herself being extremely forward. He stopped chewing and stared back at her.  
“Why ya gotta do that?” He mumbled.  
“Do what?”  
“Say stuff like that.”  
Mia got up from the table and slowly wandered back and forth in front of him. Taking her own advice, she thought carefully about what to say next. Her head was locked in a constant battle between what she wanted to say and what Carol had advised.  
“Because you won’t know I like you unless I tell you”  
He sat completely still, his eyes dropped to the table in front of him.  
“I know ya like me. I aint stupid. Just aint got no idea why ”  
She stopped and leaned on the table, studying him, her hands flat on it’s surface.  
“Why wouldn’t I?”  
Daryl set his spoon down in the dish and thought for a moment.  
“Woman like you…you can have any one ya want. Why ya want some dumb, ugly Redneck?”  
Mia smiled brightly at him, feeling flattered at the compliment but also sad at his perception of himself.  
“I wish you could see yourself the way others see you. The way I see you” She felt those butterflies again. Only now, they were morphing into bats, flapping wildly against the inside of her stomach. She was like a teenager with a crush.  
“You said nothin’ had’ta come from what happened at the farmhouse” He said. He was right, she did say that and she did mean it. But it wasn’t her preferred outcome.  
“I did say that and if you don’t want anything to come from it because you don’t like me in the same way then it’s cool. I’m sorry. I’ll stop” She said. On the outside, she was breezy, calm, accepting. On the inside, she wished she could drape herself around him. He continued to look at the table while she collected the dish and spoons and went into the kitchen. She filled the sink and began to wash the remaining crumbs and fruit away. Lost in her thoughts, she gazed out of the window as she scrubbed the dish. 

“I didn’t say that”  
Daryl’s voice from the door. Mia looked over her shoulder at him and grabbed a cloth to dry her hands. He moved to the kitchen island and leaned against it, his hair falling in front of his face as he continued to look down.  
“What?” She said.  
He paused before answering her, Mia could almost see him trying to untangle his thoughts and summon up the courage to speak.  
“I didn’t say I didn’t want anythin’ to come from it” He said quietly. Mia approached him and stood in front of him.  
“An I didn’t say I don’t like ya”  
She knew that what he’d just said was huge to both of them. To him because he’d probably not said that to many women in his life, if any. And to her because it was confirmation that she was not wasting her time entertaining feelings for someone that wasn’t interested in her.  
“You like me?” She asked, gently pushing him even further.  
“Course I do” He looked up and shrugged, as if it were an obvious statement. Mia’s bats were now raving inside her, excitement and happiness bubbling through her veins.  
“Look, you know I dunno what the hell I’m doin’.” He said, finally catching her eye.  
“Something tells me you haven’t been in this situation a whole lot in your life” She said quietly.  
“Naw. Been too busy lookin’ after myself. Plus, aint nobody been interested before”  
He stood straight again and shifted his stance.  
“Anyways, I should head out now. Thanks for the pie.”  
Mia knew he was removing himself from what he deemed to be an anxiety inducing situation, so she didn’t protest. Instead letting him walk slowly to the front door. He pulled the handle towards him and stepped aside to open the door. Mia moved quickly and stood in the doorway, blocking his exit. 

“Hold up. ‘Dumb, Ugly, Redneck’ huh? I can’t let you go anywhere without addressing this one. You’re not dumb, your group have obviously looked to you to help keep them alive for a long while. You can see things four, five, six steps ahead and I’d say that’s part of what’s kept you and the rest of them alive. You may be a Redneck, so what? I’m not exactly a wealthy suburbanite who volunteers to help the needy on weekends.”  
Daryl half smiled and his eyes darted from the floor to Mia. She shifted to the side, allowing him to pass. As he moved past her, she grabbed his hand, stopping him right in front of her. Feeling all the muscles in his hand tense, she let go and instead brushed some strands of hair from his eyes. Lightly running her thumb along the edge of his black eye.  
“and I don’t think you’re ugly, Daryl Dixon.” She whispered. “I don’t think you’re ugly _at all” _  
His eyes met hers and she thought she saw a flicker of longing in them before he gave her a polite nod and headed off down the path.__

____

Daryl walked back to his house, a strange feeling unravelling in his chest. He thought about the thing’s Mia had said to him. How she’d told him she liked him, how he’d managed to tell her he liked her too. He wondered where this had all come from. Two weeks ago, he was out in the dangerous world with the group, trying desperately to survive and never having given the kind of interaction he’d just had with Mia a second thought. He had to admit, he was pleased she saw him in a better light than he saw himself, but was also cautious that it could lead to her being disappointed. She was vivacious, capable, bold, funny and very beautiful and Daryl felt that he was nowhere near good enough for someone like her. 

Carol was sat on the porch when he got home, looking at him with a suspiciously playful look.  
“You’ve been with Mia” She said as he approached. Her voice full of curiosity and a sly smile on her face.  
“Yeah, ya got any more of that pie?” He asked, thumping up the stairs and slumping down next to her.  
“Don’t change the subject. So, what happened? I saw you guys across the way, in the doorway” She enquired.  
Daryl sighed and lit a cigarette, holding it away from Carol, aware of the direction the smoke was travelling in.  
“Nothin happened.” He said casually. “We ate pie”  
Carol furrowed her brow and nudged him in the side.  
“Daryl…” She pressed.  
“Fine! Good lord! She told me she likes me. Not that I didn’t already know” He said, blowing smoke out of the corner of his mouth.  
“I hope you told her you like her too. I know you do”  
Daryl thought for a moment, chewing his thumb and glancing over at Mia’s house. He could hear the faint sound of rock music carried on the air. He strained his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of her through the windows, but he couldn’t see anything. 

“Maybe” He mumbled. Carol shifted in her seat, turning to face him. Her face lit up with a broad smile.  
“You did?! That’s great!” She exclaimed.  
“Don’t get so damn excited” Daryl grumbled “we’re just friends”  
Carol shot him a look and sat back in her seat.  
“For now.” He finished.  
She grinned again and squeezed his knee. “You don’t need to be so afraid y’know. Just let it happen”  
“I aint afraid.” He snapped. “I just…Gimme somethin’ t’track or a rabbit to skin or a bike to fix and I’m fine. I’m good at that stuff….”  
Carol didn’t speak, instead letting him voice his thoughts. She knew that she was the only person who he would express this kind of thing to and she knew when to shut up and listen.  
“…I can survive, y’know. But I aint never had to do this. I was so busy runnin’ with Merle or avoidin’ ma ‘ol man all the time, I aint never had time for this kind of thing. I don’t know shit about women. All I do know is she’s got these fuckin’ blue eyes and freckles and I can’t seem to keep my shit together when I’m around her. It's exhaustin'.”  
He leaned forwards, resting on his elbows and staring at the floor. He slowly shook his head.  
“I dunno why she’s so into me, I don’t have anythin’ to offer her. She’s way out of ma league. She deserves better than me.”  
He heard Carol scoff loudly. “What crap” She spat. “Look at me, Daryl” She demanded. He lifted his head and looked over his shoulder at her.  
“You are a good man. You are more than good enough for her. Besides, you don’t get to decide that, that’s her decision to make.”  
He looked over at her house again as Carol stood up and drew her sweater around her.  
“If you can find a man that does know anything about women, send him my way. It’s not a common occurrence” She jested. A short huff of laughter escaped Daryl’s lips.  
“Hey” She said softy “Be yourself. That’s all she wants you to be. Be her friend, have fun. If it’s meant to happen, it will. You deserve some happiness after everything you’ve done for everybody else”  
Daryl smiled thinly and nodded. “Thanks”. He said, as Carol walked into the house.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I've ran out of pre-written chapters now so I'm writing as I go along. Thanks for all the love so far, really glad people are enjoying this! So we have a bit of a slow burn going on, Maybe Mia might actually get somewhere...

In the afternoon, Mia was taking a stroll around the neighbourhood, stopping briefly at the Gazebo where she noticed Maggie. The sun was shining brightly and the air was warm. As she approached, Maggie looked up from her notepad, where she had been furiously scribbling notes. Mia smiled broadly and pushed her sun glasses up onto her head, locking her hair behind her ears. 

“Afternoon” Mia said “It’s Maggie, right? We spoke at Deanna’s party”  
“Yeah, you’re Mia, I remember. Please, sit” Maggie shuffled up, allowing Mia to sit next to her. “So how are you? I saw what happened yesterday with Spencer”  
Mia felt the burden of embarrassment sitting in her stomach and rolled her eyes.  
“Ahhh damn, I suppose the whole of Alexandria knows by now.” She sighed.  
“Yeah, knows what a jerk Spencer was. Sounds like he deserved the beating he got”  
Mia laughed a little and scanned their surroundings, the greenery and flowers giving the impression that this was a little slice of paradise in a damaged world.

“Yeah, I have to hand it to him, he’s been persistent” She quipped. 

Maggie closed her notebook and placed it on the seat next to her, Mia noticed she had placed it on top of a pregnancy book. 

“You reading that?” She asked, nodding towards the book.  
“Oh, yeah” Maggie said, gently placing her hand on her stomach. Mia’s eyebrows shot up.  
“You’re pregnant?!” She asked excitedly. Maggie smiled softy and nodded.  
“I had no idea! That’s awesome, congratulations!” Mia cried, turning her body to face Maggie. “Babies are cool, they smell real good y’know? And that little thing they do when they hold your finger with an entire, tiny little hand? That’s some cute shit”  
Maggie laughed “You want kids?” She asked.  
“Me?!” Mia exclaimed. “Oh, hell no. I mean, I’ll coo over everyone else’s but I’m not the mothering type. I can’t even keep a houseplant alive. If I had a kid it’d be wandering around with a bottle of Jack Daniels by the age of six. So, I just aint doing it”  
Maggie laughed harder and picked up her pregnancy book, running her hand over the cover and smiling to herself. “It’s crazy, I feel kinda worried. Bringing a baby into the world when it’s like this. But one thing’s for sure, it’s going to have one hell of a big family. I just hope we can find enough of the vitamins and baby stuff I’m going to need”.  
Mia furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. “Does everyone know? Does Deanna know?” she asked.  
“Oh yeah, she knows. Our whole group knows” She replied. 

There was a long pause, the two women sat in the quiet for a few minutes, only the chirping of the birds and the gentle murmuring of passers by could be heard. 

“I’m thinking” Mia started “Why are we waiting to collect stuff for this? Surely, we should be out there getting as many supplies as possible for you? Seems stupid that Deanna hasn’t asked me to look out for anything”  
“You go out on runs?” She asked.  
“Yeah, resident expert scavenger and poster collector. Well, me and my chatty companion Mr. Dixon who covers the hunting side of things. Dream team, at your service. We are meant to be recruiting too, but all we found on our first trip was a bunch of cannibals and a six thousand strong heard of Walkers.”  
“That’s a big heard. Encountered a few of those in my time too.” She said, almost to herself while looking down into her lap.  
“If you write me a list of the things you’re going to need, I can go get it for you” Mia said casually. “I’ll go tomorrow”  
Maggie looked up and picked up her notepad and pen. She wrote a long list of supplies, tore it off and handed it to Mia.  
“Thank you” She said in her soft, southern accent.  
“No problem, just wish someone had made me aware of this already. Sooner I start collecting, the better. I’ll try my best” Mia said as she stood up and folded the note, placing it in her back pocket and making her way to Daryl’s place. 

 

Daryl was on the drive, surrounded by tools and bike parts, his hands and arms covered in black marks. Mia’s heart fluttered when she saw him sat on the floor at the side of his bike, puffing on a cigarette and examining a bike part, turning it over in his hand. The angel wings on the back of his vet stood out in the sun now Carol had got hold of it and cleaned it for him. They were not pure white, just a lighter shade of grey. His hair hung about his face and Mia observed his strong, muscular arms as she walked towards him. 

“Hel-lo Mr Bicep” She whispered to herself while still out of earshot.

Quietly wandering across the grass, Daryl didn’t notice her presence until she planted herself, cross legged, next to him on the floor and picked up two long metal objects with springs from the floor. 

“Touring shocks, Huh? Not as comfy as you wanted?” She said. Daryl looked at her with a mixture of shock and confusion. She placed them back on the floor and slipped his cigarette from between his fingers. She took a long drag and smiled at him. 

“What? I bartended for an MC, I picked up some shit” She blew the smoke out of her nose and propped the cigarette back between his fingers. She pulled her sun glasses down over her eyes, leaned back on the grass, straightened her legs out in front of her and propped herself up on her elbows. Her black tank top soaking up the sun and holding the heat. She was wearing long shorts and black sneakers, Daryl could see she had another tattoo on her calf. Detailed black and white flowers that ran from just under her knee to just above her ankle. 

“Nice ink” He commented. She lifted her leg in the air and admired the artwork.  
“Thanks. I have more, but you saw some at the party, right? There are others. Maybe you’ll get to see them one day” She teased, gently nudging his shoulder with her sneaker. He huffed and shook his head, shooting her a small smile over his shoulder. The complete absence of shame in her flirting still shocked him, although he was starting to find it less uncomfortable the more he got used to it. 

“I have a proposition for you” She said. He flicked the end of his smoke away and sat back on the grass beside her.  
“Kinda afraid to ask” He admitted.  
“Oh relaaaax. It’s nothing like that. Well, I mean. Unless you want it to be.” She winked at him and rolled over onto her front. “There’s a note in my back pocket, I can’t possibly get it myself, I’ve been walking around for hours and I’m just so tired…” She faked a yawn  
“…Help a girl out”  
Daryl rolled his eyes and reluctantly slid his index finger and thumb into her back pocket, pulling out the note as quickly as possible. The appealing curves of her body not lost on him.  
“Open it. It’s all stuff for Maggie. I figured I should start stockpiling things for the baby as soon as possible.”  
Daryl’s eyes narrowed at the paper as he read the list and Mia rolled onto her back. Eventually, his expression softened as he caught her eye.  
“You offered to go get all this?” He asked. She nodded.  
“Yep. Since we make such a good team and all, thought you should come with me” She said, taking the paper back from him, lifting her hip from the floor and sliding back into her shorts pocket. Daryl glanced at his bike and then at the ground. Mia knew he was avoiding looking at her. 

“When?” He said quietly, picking at the grass in front of him.  
“In the morning. Bright and early. We can take my truck if the suspension on your bike is still squiffy”.  
He continued to pick at the grass, creating a brown patch of mud in front of him.  
“Ya don’t need me to go with ya, you can handle yourself” He muttered. 

Mia changed position and crawled around to sit cross legged in front of him. Removing her shades, lowering her head slightly and searching for his line of vision.  
“OK, I’m about to be really forward here, so prepare yourself” She warned. He looked up nervously, into her big blue eyes.  
“You’re right, I don’t need you and yes, I can handle myself. But I’d much rather you did the handling of me…if you get my drift. Now, I am painfully aware that there is a pretty slim chance of that happening, but my only chance of breaking down this wall you have around you, is by spending time with you. So, I’m not asking because I need you to come with me. I’m asking because I want you to come with me.”

Daryl scoffed and tried to hide a smile, now finding her shameless nature amusing. This pleased Mia, who took it as a signal to up her game. She slowly leant towards him, her mouth level with his ear and placed her hand on his knee to steady herself, feeling that now familiar tense reaction.  
“C’mon, I need something nice to look at while I’m out there. Think of it as a service to your community. Don’t make me beg, Daryl…” She whispered, pulling away slightly, her face centimetres from his, a seductive smirk on her face. 

“…Because I will”

Although he probably looked positively terrified, Daryl did want to go with her and had every intention to agree from the beginning. He had deliberately made it seem like he wasn’t interested because he knew she would try to change his mind. He had to admit to himself; aside from the fact that he had no idea how to react to her, he had allowed himself to enjoy her blatant flirting. 

Mia remained just in front of him, studying his face and hearing people walk past on the street. She felt a stab of excitement at them seeing her so close to him. Daryl inhaled and brought his head up, levelling his gaze with hers.  
“Fine. Aint like ma schedule is full” He said. Mia’s heart danced and she grinned.  
“Excellent. I’ll pick you up just after sunrise. “

As the sun’s rays pierced the sky over Alexandria, Mia was up, showered, and dressed in a brown tank top and a pair of tight, black jeans. She sat on the bottom step and pulled on her Military boots before checking she had everything she needed. She had studied her map the night before, deciding the easiest place to hit within a reasonable driving distance, to avoid them having to say out the night, but everywhere within a 250-mile radius of Alexandria had been picked clean. She decided to go the opposite way to the last time she had been out with Daryl, across and expanse of dense forest with only one road cutting through it. 

She had tied her hair up into a ponytail which swished and swayed around her shoulders as she moved. With her backpack slung over her shoulder, she picked up her leather jacket and left the house. She had packed the truck the night before, having avoided any reasons to get up any earlier than she needed to. In the trucks cab, she flipped the sun visor down and checked her face. Her freckles stood out more since she’d been swanning about in the sun. Part of her wished she could paint over them every day with make-up, but aside from having little motivation for something so trivial, she wanted to keep her make-up for any more of Deanna’s compulsory parties. 

A noise from across the street caught her attention and she snapped the sun visor back up to reveal Daryl slowly walking down the path at the front of his house. His crossbow in his left hand. She marvelled at him for a moment, observing his strong arms, his rugged, tough guy appearance. Underneath it all, she knew there was a lot more to him than met the eye and she couldn’t wait to find out more about him. 

She turned on the ignition and slowly drove the truck towards Daryl on the side of the road. Pulling up in front of him and winding down the window.  
“Morning” She beamed. She was met by an inaudible mumble and a nod as he rounded the truck and climbed in beside her, placing his crossbow on the backseat of the cab. Mia drove to the armoury and checked out two guns before heading out of the gates. 

The drive was quiet at first. Too quiet. Mia needed something to break the silence.  
“You mind if I put some tunes on? The silence in here is kinda heavy” She asked. unexpectedly, Daryl leaned forwards and pressed ‘play’ on the trucks CD player. The sound of guitars and drums filled the vehicle and Mia saw Daryl’s expression change to that of approval. 

“You like the same music as me” Mia stated  
“More or less” He said, rummaging through the glove compartment and pulling out a case of CD’s. He flicked through them quickly, sliding one out of the case every now and then and examining it. Satisfied with Mia’s CD collection, he shoved it back into it’s place and pulled out a candy bar from his pocket.  
Mia glanced at him and wrinkled her nose.  
“Candy…at this time in the morning?”  
“We don’t know what time it is anymore” He replied, making a good point. He snapped some of the bar off and held it out in front of Mia’s face. She shot him a smile and took the candy from him with her teeth, her lips brushing his fingers. She chewed loudly, enjoying the sugary taste regardless of having not been out of bed that long. 

“So, I found us a destination. It’s a mall. Kind of in the middle of nowhere, strange place to put a mall. Could be overrun, but with a good distraction to draw all the Walkers away, we should be able to get inside. Going to take us a day to get there, so we’d be better stopping half way and setting up camp for the night. I brought blankets and pillows, figured we could just use the flatbed of the truck to sleep in. At least we’d be off the ground and whoever’s on watch can sit here, switch the engine on and slam their foot down if we get any visitors up for a little midnight snacking.”  
Daryl shifted in his seat and sat with his back against the door, facing Mia.  
“Alright.” He agreed. 

Mia drove on, deciding not to push for any more conversation. Although she knew it was going to be a long journey if he was going to be this quiet the whole time.  
After hours of driving, Mia pulled the truck over to the side of the forest. Daryl, who had slept for the entire journey, awoke with a start and hauled himself up in his seat. Mia jumped out of the truck and wandered about outside, stretching her muscles. Daryl watched her from behind the windscreen. Admiring her flat stomach and small waist as she stretched her arms above her head. After a few minutes of observing her walk back and forth, smoking a cigarette and sipping water from a large plastic bottle. She got back in the truck and started it up, hitting the road again. 

“Where did you learn to hunt and track stuff?” She asked.  
“Grew up by the woods, known how to track ever since I could walk. Merle taught me”  
“Carol said you tracked her daughter for miles. Sophia, was it?” she enquired. The mention of her name caused Daryl’s face to fall.  
“Yeah, sent myself on a wild goose chase. I was so sure she was out there”  
“She was though. She just ended up in the barn, right?”  
“I dunno, I guess so. I thought I’d find her, just wanderin’ around. But I was too late, she'd turned. I got lost in the woods at her age. Nine days. Ma ol’ man was off with some waitress, didn’t even know I was gone. Merle was doin’ a stint in juvy. I was Eatin’ berries and wipin’ ma ass with poison oak”.  
Mia shot him a shocked look. “Nine days?! Did someone find you?”  
“Naw, found ma own way back, went straight to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. Ma ass itched something terrible”.  
She tried to push down a laugh but failed. “I’m sorry, that’s a terrible story” She giggled, pleased to see Daryl smiling along with her.  
“Teach me how to track properly someday? I can keep myself alive, hunt stuff when I see it. Always been shit at tracking though. Obviously, it’s a valuable skill to have”  
He nodded “Sure”.  
Mia wiggled a smoke out of her packet on the dashboard and lit it. Motioning for Daryl to do the same. He obliged and moved back into his position on the seat, facing her. 

By the evening, Mia had parked the truck in the forest, but not too far from the road. Daryl had dug a hole and made a fire and they feasted on an Opossom that he had caught when they’d first stopped. Mia sat on the back of the flatbed, her legs dangling below. 

“Daryl, come here” She said, beckoning him with her hand.  
He looked up from his spot by the fire with a puzzled look on his face before slowly standing and walking towards her. He stopped a couple of feet from her and looked at her through his hair.

“Closer, c’mon” She beckoned again with her hand. He stepped forwards and she grabbed his arm, pulling him close to her, her legs either side of his body and his face close enough for her to see the stubble on his chin. She began gently picking through his hair. 

“You have half the damn forest in your hair” She said as she removed the leaves and threw them aside. 

“There” She said, placing her hands in her lap and studying his face. He still watched her through his hair, transfixed by her. 

“Thanks” He mumbled, still not moving away. Mia gave him a sly smile, well aware that he wasn’t moving simply because he was enjoying being this close to her, without having to be touched. 

“You don’t like being touched, do you?” She asked gently.  
He shook his head slowly.  
“Ol’ man was kinda nasty. Aint used to being touched unless it getting ma ass kicked” He replied. 

She gently traced the outside of his fingers on his left hand. She noticed him look down as their skin made contact. Gradually, her fingers intertwined with his, until she was holding his hand. She sighed in satisfaction as she felt him grip her fingers slightly. 

“Not so bad?” She asked. He shrugged, as if it was nothing, but struggled to find the words to say next and Mia could almost feel the apprehension coursing through him. Thinking she wasn’t going to get a response, she let the quiet fall around them, focusing on her hand, tied up with his. 

“Not so bad…from you” He finally said, taking Mia completley off guard.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If at first you don't succeed, try, try again :)

Trying to hide her surprise, she slowly took his other hand, bringing them both up and placing them on her lap. She felt his whole-body tense much like he had when she snuggled next to him in the hay loft that night. A sting of worry niggled away in the back of her mind that she was pushing him too far too quickly, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, choosing to endure and gradually getting used to the feel of having someone touching him affectionately.  
The two of them remained motionless, their hands intertwined and their breathing heavier. Eventually, Daryl removed his right hand. Mia assumed he’d had enough and let go of his left hand too, only to find that he grabbed it as she went to pull away. She caught his eye and felt as though he was looking into her soul. His eyes never leaving hers. He held on to her fingers tightly, the warmth of his skin seeping into her pores as she returned the firm squeeze. 

“The numbers on your back” He said. “What are they?”. She bit her lip briefly and inhaled, preparing to gather her thoughts and tell her story. Her hand still in his.  
“The date I ran away from home. I was sixteen. It changed my life forever. Turned me into who I am today. If I’d stayed, I’d probably be dead.”  
She noticed Daryl chewing his bottom lip and figured it must be something he did when he was thinking about something carefully. 

“My old man was nasty too. He beat my mother black and blue and for some reason, hated me with the fire of a thousand suns. I always suspected that he might not have been my real father, it was the only reason I could think of that explained why he hated me so much, yet adored my little sister. He never laid a finger on her. Eventually, I grew to resent my mother for not protecting me and always taking his side. So, knowing he wouldn’t hurt my sister, I packed my shit and left.” 

Daryl’s hand gripped hers even tighter and she drew it towards her, taking him unaware and prompting him to step even closer to her. He looked down into her face and studied her blue eyes, the light freckles he’d grown fond of and her full lips. She felt his hand start to tremble in hers. 

“Sit down” She said, patting the space next to her on the trucks flatbed. He removed his hand and sat next to her, closer than she expected, but not touching her. 

“What happened then?” He asked. Mia took a deep breath. 

“Lived on the streets for a while, got friendly with another girl from a similar situation. She was 20 and we were kinda dangerous for one another, fed off each other’s misery, yet we were like sisters. She became my best friend. She introduced me to this guy she knew, president of an MC. I was 17 when I started working in the clubhouse, at first it was just cleaning shit to pay for the room they gave me to live in, I wasn’t old enough to work the bar in case any cops showed up and raided the place. They didn’t need another thing to have to hide if that happened. This guy, the president guy, I fell in love with him. At the time, he just saw me as a minor irritation, a girl that was just there because he was fucking my best friend. We became close when she died. She was murdered. Shot in the head right in front of me. I still remember the shape the blood splatter made on the wall. Brain matter, peppered all over the place. Then, I started bartending when I was 21 and stayed there ever since. He looked out for me, made sure nobody touched me, but he was dangerous in other ways. In a way, I’d given up violence, for violence. I see that now. By the time the dead started walking, I was hooked on cocaine, smoked weed like cigarettes and was breaking into somebody’s home more to impress the guy I loved than for any other reason. I was stupid and naive. I guess Spencer was right, I am trash….”

She sat on her hands and swung her legs back and forth and looked up into the trees momentarily. 

“…I used to walk by this jewellery store in the mall sometimes and look at the girls that worked there. All perfect. Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect make-up, perfect lives. I always wanted to be like that. Perfect. So, people would look at me and not know how fucked up I was. But they know. I ink it on my skin. I wear in on my face and I wear it in my eyes”.

She could feel Daryl staring from beside her, his gaze locked on her face. 

“Spencer don’t know shit. He looks at ya n’ sees a challenge. An untouchable, he needs t' have ya just to prove he can. And there aint so such thing as perfect. There’s such thing as survivors though” He said, leaving Mia dumbfounded at not only the pearl of wisdom he’d just shared, but the fact that he had described her as ‘untouchable’. 

For the first time, Daryl could see cracks in the strong façade Mia had enforced since they met. In this moment, she looked vulnerable, maybe even sad. He knew what she was telling him was that she wasn’t as comfortable in her own skin as she made out. He could now see that she was just as broken as he was and now felt less intimidated by her bold and forward nature. 

Mia smiled to herself after a while of quiet between them, she was a survivor, he had that right. She had not told anyone the details of her background before. Preferring to have everyone think she was a hard ass with an impenetrable suit of emotional armour. She had chosen to put her trust in Daryl, knowing that out of everyone, he would be the least likely to judge her. 

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think ya trash” He said. “Ya wanna know what I was, before all this? Nothin’. Nobody. I grew up in a shack in the woods, hillbilly style. Ma ol’ man used to beat Merle so bad, I thought he’d damn near killed him a couple times. When Merle left, the sommbitch turned on me, then he’d go off for days, weeks at a time. Had to learn to fend for myself.” 

“You got scars?” She asked, glancing sideways at him. He nodded.  
“Me too. The ink on my back hides them.”  
“It’s nice. I mean, they look good, ya tattoos” He stammered, delivering a clumsy compliment.  
“Thank you” she said politely.  
“Y'know, you’re the most handsome hillbilly I ever saw” She said, winking at him. He laughed and Mia felt a shot of satisfaction. 

“Thanks” He said shyly. He was realising that instead of just trying to embarrass him all the time, her flirting was for a reason. It was her way of telling him how much she liked him and that she genuinely did think him attractive. He wondered what she saw when she looked at him, it had to be a world apart from the way he saw himself. 

As night drew in, they both sat back in the flatbed of the truck next to one another, their backs resting on pillows against the cab’s back window and the blanket drawn up around them. Neither of them had spoken for around half an hour, both of them just looking up, staring at the clear night the day had prepared, there were stars, millions of them. Small, twinkling diamonds on a velvet blanket. Daryl had taken Mia’s hand, holding it tightly in his own and gently rubbing his thumb over her soft skin. When his hand initially made contact with hers, she flinched slightly in surprise and looked at him, immediately locked into eye contact with him as he shifted their fingers into a comfortable position. Finding herself nervous for the first time in as far back as she could remember, she took a deep breath. Surely, if anyone should be steadying their nerves, it was him. She questioned if she really was as confident around Daryl as she wanted to be. With the eye contact between them still connected, she made the decision to take a risk and be honest with him. 

“I got it pretty bad for you, Daryl” She breathed. 

He broke their eye contact, glancing down into his lap but still keeping a grip on her hand. Then, his eyes darted around for a few seconds as if he were searching for the right words, or for the courage to say them. His lips parted slightly, but Mia heard no sound. 

She looked back up at the sky. “I’m sorry, too much too soon” She whispered, feeling him squeeze her hand gently. 

“What am I sposed to say? What do ya want me to say?” He mumbled

Mia looked at him again and smiled softly. “I want you to say whatever you want” 

She watched him. His confused expression, his blue eyes searching his surroundings through his floppy brown hair. She returned to her star gazing. A few minutes passed before he spoke again. 

“I…” He started. Mia froze, unsure if she should turn to look at him or keep her eyes trained on the sky. He was like one of the deer she had seen him hunt, any sudden moves and all bets were off. She chose to keep looking at the stars when she heard him sigh in frustration. 

“Ahh shit.” He whispered. 

“Look, you sayin that to me…It’s hard to believe. It’s like it aint real. I dunno. I mean, why me? Why not Rick, Glenn, Abraham or any other guys in Alexandria? They got more t’offer than me, just dunno why you’re all caught up with me”

“Because you’re every bit as good as them, Daryl. Every bit.” She said to the sky, feeling his gaze on her. They stayed as they were, quiet and completely still with a thick air of sexual tension surrounding them. 

“I aint never seen nobody as hot as you” He blurted out.

Mia couldn’t help it, she grinned up at the sky as a small huff of happiness left her lungs. She glanced to her side and saw Daryl, sheepishly scanning the clearing as if nothing had happened. She laughed slightly and thought hard for a response. He finally caught her gaze, smiling awkwardly. 

“Damn, Mr. Dixon. That was worth waiting for.” She said. “You mean that?”

Daryl looked at her and furrowed his brow. “You kiddin’? Took me all goddamn day to get that out. Jeez” He shook his head, trying to hide the broad smile on his face. 

“Not been called that much in my life.” Mia said into her lap. 

“Wha?!” Daryl exclaimed “Wha kinda blind assholes you been datin’?” 

Mia felt herself blush “Ok, stop” she laughed, bringing their entwined hands up and examining his masculine hand, clamped around her pale, thin fingers. She felt her cheeks start to burn and cursed herself internally. 

“You blushin’?” He teased.  
“No” Mia lied  
“Yeah ya are”  
“Oh fuck off. I only have to look at you to make you blush”  
Daryl licked his lips “s’because I aint used to this. Pretty girl holdin’ ma hand, tellin’ me I’m all good and shit.”  
“Floodgates open now, huh? Got you saying all kinds of stuff” she joked.  
“I ever told ya how annoying I think ya are?”  
“Yeah, once or twice.” 

In the morning, Daryl awoke on the flatbed alone. The air was crisp, cold and he could smell some kind of tinned food. He sat up on his elbows and blinked the sleep out of his eyes, trying to focus from behind his hair. 

“Morning hot stuff” Mia chirped from the side of the truck. “Breakfast? There’s a vast array of options on the menu this morning. I got warm beans, beans that are warm and warmed beans…. Lord, I want some bacon” She cried, throwing her head back as if she were talking to the heavens. 

Daryl yawned and sat up, shaking his head and pulling himself to the end of the truck, dangling his legs off the edge.

“You and me both. Beans it is” She heard him mumble. She rounded the truck, passed him a tin that had been sat in the sun and watched as he finished the entire thing in seconds. Next, she lit him a cigarette, placing it between his lips. She noticed his eyes slowly scan her body as he inhaled the nicotine. Aware that she wasn’t wearing anything that was really covering her up a great deal. Her tank top was thin, low under the arms, revealing her black lace bra. Her jeans tight, accentuating the curves of her hips and her small waist. 

“Did you just check me out?” She asked  
Daryl looked right at her, albeit slightly uncomfortably. “Naw”. He lied.  
She found herself stepping forwards until she was right in front of him, his face level with her chest, the cigarette she had given him dangled from his lips.  
“I want to show you something. Don’t freak out, OK?” She said. 

Blowing smoke from his nose, he nodded. Mia took a deep breath and turned around to face away from him. She grabbed the bottom of her tank top, hoisting it over her head, her jet-black hair falling like a wave across her back and shoulders. Daryl blinked in shock, his eyes everywhere but on her bare skin, feeling like he was taking advantage just by looking at her. She looked over her shoulder at him. 

“You can look.” She said. Daryl’s eyes slowly moved to her back, and he realised what she was showing him. As she gathered her long hair and pulled it over her shoulder, his eyes widened. Tied up within the lines and patterns of her two, giant Mandala tattoos, were hundreds of deep scars, slashing every which way from her shoulder blades to the base of her back. The blank space around her Roman Numerals showing the severity of her story. Daryl felt the strong pull of familiarity and his heart swelled with admiration for her. He removed his cigarette from his mouth. 

“I need that back” She said, holding out her hand and gesturing for the smoke. He passed it to her and she took a long drag, keeping it to get her through this most intimate and revealing of moments. Daryl raised his hand, hovering it above her skin. 

“It’s OK” She said. She shuddered as his fingers met her skin, a sharp intake of breath rattled through her lungs. He traced lines over her scars, wary of applying any pressure. His hand moved to the nape of her neck and he slowly dragged his fingertips down her spine, across her numbers, feeling the bumpy landscape of her experiences. He couldn’t believe he had not noticed them before, when he watched her glide through Deanna’s party without a care in the world. The feel of his skin on hers caused her to exhale loudly and close her eyes. Losing herself in the moment, she brought herself back to reality as his hand left her back. She turned slowly, her bra obscured by her hand, clutching onto her mass of hair pulled over her shoulder.

“I didn’t notice them before” He admitted.  
“You wouldn’t have, you didn’t know to look for them. If you’d known my story before, maybe you would have seen them. The tattoos, they hide them well.”  
He had already noticed another design inked on her ribs.  
“Compass?” He asked. Mia smiled and shrugged.  
“Never knew where I was headed. Needed a compass” 

She unrolled her tank top in her hand and pulled it back over her head. As she raised her arms, Daryl caught sight of yet more ink under her bra but decided against asking about that one, feeling as though he had already seen too much of her. 

“Look” She said, I’m not stupid enough to think that we can compare scars and become soulmates. But we’re both from the same story and somehow, someway, we have bumped into each other in this life. In this world, gone to shit and I know, that you get it. I know you understand.” 

Daryl nodded, catching her eye. “Yeah, I do”.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! I've noticed some people bookmarking this, Thanks guys! *blush*  
> I just wanted to get this posted so please excuse any mistakes, I read through my stuff a few times so I'll pick them up at some point.  
> Comments and kudus are much appreciated, thank you.

As the mall appeared at the end of the road, Mia hit the breaks and turned off the CD player. Hundreds of Walkers filled their view behind the fence. Milling about in their haze of hunger, they bumped into one another carelessly and filled every corner of the parking lot. Mia’s heart sank. This was going to be more difficult than she’d thought. 

“For god sakes” She mumbled under her breath as she leaned into the back seat to retrieve her backpack.   
“What are ya doing?” Daryl asked.   
“I prepared for this. I just hoped we wouldn’t have to go to such extremes. It limits our time here” She said.   
She pulled out two large fireworks from her bag and placed them on her lap.   
“What the fuck are ya going to do with those?”   
She sat still and looked at him.   
“I’m going to set these off, somewhere away from the mall, but first we need to make a hole in that fence, as quietly as possible, so they can get through.”  
Mia jumped out of the truck and retrieved a pair of bolt cutters from the flatbed.   
“Thought of everything, huh?” Daryl quipped.   
“I’m never unprepared for anything, Daryl. You’ll get used to that soon enough” She said with confidence. 

They walked quietly towards the waiting Walkers on the other side of the fence. Managing to use the bushes as cover. Mia picked up a large rock and threw it across the parking lot. Bloodied, rotten faces turned towards the noise and gradually, they all started wandering in it’s direction, clearing the coast for Daryl to get to work with the bolt cutter. Once a large enough hole was made in the fence, He turned to her. 

“Ya sure about this?” He asked.   
“Daryl…trust me. I’ve done this a lot.” She reassured him.   
“Fine” He said as they got back into the truck.   
“Ok, now we need to drive a decent enough distance away to draw them clear of the parking lot, so we can enter from the other side without getting eaten.”

She drove the truck back along the same road they had arrived on. Finding a large hill at the side, she stopped the truck and held up the two rockets in her hand. 

“I’ve been saving these bad boys” She grinned as she hopped out and carried her fireworks up the hill. Sticking them in the ground, she pulled out her Zippo and lit them both before running back down the hill to the truck. She jumped in and hit the accelerator, racing towards the other parking lot entrance as the fireworks went off in the distance, sending a large, crackling explosion shattering through the completely quiet area.

“Only problem is, the noise will attract Walkers from all around, not just the Mall. So, we have to be as quick as we can, once we’re in”. She said as she cruised the truck around a corner and onto a rickety, under maintained road that was signposted ‘service area’. 

Daryl looked at her in amazement, impressed by how smart and resourceful she could be. As the truck entered the parking lot, he could see the last of the Walkers trundling through the gap in the fence towards the noise and smiled to himself. Thinking he’d have to remember this idea for the future. Mia reversed the truck into the service yard, ready to be loaded with anything useful they found and hopped out of the cab. 

The service entrance door to the mall was locked and chained from the outside. Daryl snapped the chain with the bolt cutters and kicked at the door. When it didn’t budge he glanced around him for something to barge it down with. 

“Woah woah. Hold on there Rambo. I got this” Mia said, kneeling in front of the door and looking through her backpack. She pulled out two long, thin instruments and set to work picking the lock. Her tongue protruded from the corner of her mouth as she concentrated intently on the mechanism. 

“Come on, come oooon” she whispered, encouraging herself. She held her breath as she turned one of the tools and a loud click echoed around them. She looked behind her at Daryl and smiled. 

“Alright, that’s pretty awesome” He admitted. Mia got to her feet and put her tools away, zipping her bag shut. 

“I’m good with my hands” She said, giving him a lingering look. He shook his head at her, unhooking his crossbow from over his shoulder. She kicked the door and it swung open to reveal a large, metal staircase. Daryl pulled out his knife and tapped it loudly on the door before re-holstering it and signalling for Mia to wait. When they heard nothing, he crept in first, his crossbow trained in front of him. 

“Stay behind me” He said quietly.   
“I’ll do what I like, Dixon, I’m the scavenging expert here” She quipped. He looked round at her, shooting her an annoyed look.   
“Who’s the one with the crossbow, sweetheart?” He said. Mia rolled her eyes. 

As they moved up the staircase, the unsettling quietness was starting to worry Mia. In such a huge building, she would have expected at least one Walker, but she could hear nothing but their soft footsteps. At the top, Daryl quietly pushed open the door to the centre of the Mall and peered around the corner. 

“Look’s empty” He said “C’mon” 

She followed as he walked out in the open, scanning the store fronts. The light from the windows in the ceiling illuminating the main walkway. Mia started down the middle of the Mall, glancing into the store windows. Stopping in front of a clothes store, she tilted her head to the side and marvelled at a black corseted top, displayed along with 2 other colour variations. One Red, one White. 

“Aint got time for shoppin” Daryl asked, approaching her. 

“I like the black one” She said, still transfixed on the product in the window. Daryl followed her gaze and awkwardly shifted his stance. 

“We gotta keep movin’” He said, passing her and walking on. Mia turned to follow him, giving the window one last glance. 

They walked along without speaking for a while, Mia jogging over to a shop window every now and then to check the merchandise inside, making sure they weren’t passing up anything that could be useful. At the end of the Mall, was a large department store with it’s shutters down. Daryl examined the shutters control pad on the wall, while Mia opened a door to a behind the scenes hallway and disappeared inside. Daryl quickly followed once he’d realised where she’d gone. 

The Hallway was dark, but Mia silently crept along, her back to the wall, before finally coming to a door. She clicked a flashlight on and put the end of it in her mouth, gripping it with her teeth and shining the light on the lock. Using her tools, she picked the lock and clicked the door open. Daryl followed her inside, also clicking on his flashlight and scanning the store with it. Seeing nothing that posed a danger, Mia scurried to the store directory on the wall. 

“Baby department is on this floor. I say we take the biggest stroller we can find and fill it up.” She said. 

Daryl nodded as he continued to follow the light of his flashlight, trying to find the right direction to move in. Eventually, he spotted the sign for the Children’s department. 

“There. C’mon” He rasped as he lunged forwards and slinked through the rails of clothes and counters containing jewellery and watches. 

Reaching their destination, Mia grabbed a large, stroller with a light grey lining and yellow bears on the small mattress inside. She began throwing in clothes, blankets and toys. In a matter of minutes, she’d gathered everything she could fit in the stroller and nodded to Daryl that it was time to leave. 

Back in the main Mall, they walked briskly, Mia pushing the stroller along in front of her. She glanced to her left as they passed the clothes store she stopped at initially. Daryl saw her slow out of the corner of his eye and looked over at her. 

“God Dammit, just go get it” He sighed. 

“Nah” She said “Probably wouldn’t suit me anyway” She went to carry on pushing the stroller when he stepped in front of it. 

“Hey. You want it, go get it.” His eyes narrowed as he watched her think about it. She gave him a huge grin before bouncing off towards the store and picking the lock on the front of the store. She vanished inside and Daryl placed his crossbow on top of the stroller. He looked down at the floor, sighed and shook his head in an attempt to shake away a train of thought he didn’t quite understand. He admitted to himself that he had encouraged her to go back and get the item of clothing she’d spotted, because he knew that despite what she said, it would suit her and he wouldn’t complain about seeing her in it. 

She emerged a few minutes later, zipping up her backpack, which now looked considerably larger. She gave him a sheepish look and shrugged her shoulders. 

“Priorities, huh?” He said. 

“Can’t just walk around naked, Daryl. As much as you’d like to see that”. She joked, handing him his crossbow from the stroller and striding off, her head held high.   
Before reaching the door where they’d entered the Mall. Mia noticed a medical sign further down in the other direction. She squinted and held her breath when she realised what it was. 

“Daryl! Drug store! Drug Store! Look!” She said excitedly, knowing that they’d found a goldmine if it hadn’t already been raided. None of the other stores had been touched, so Mia’s excitement was almost justified. The two of them sped off down the walkway to the store, forgetting the need to be quiet. Mia gabbed the handles of the doors and shook them, sending a huge rattling sound bouncing through the Mall. 

“Shh!” Daryl hissed, placing his hand over hers on the handle. “You wanna have a fuckin’ hoedown while you’re at it?! Gonna wake up the whole damn state!” 

Mia bit her lip and looked innocently up into his face. “Sorry”

A guttural moan emanated from the far side of the mall and Mia felt her heart jump. 

“Oh fuck.” She said, taking out her lockpicking tools again. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realised the lock was a standard one, nothing electronic or fancy which surprised her, considering the store it was meant to be securing. She tried to stay calm as three Walkers came into view around a kiosk in the middle. 

“No pressure, but ya gotta hurry” Daryl encouraged her

Her hands began to tremble as she fiddled with the lock, trying to keep one still and turn with the other. The inside of the lock clicked and rattled as she worked. She could sense Daryl directly behind her, glancing back and forth from the Walkers to her. 

“Don’t wanna waste arrows unless we aint got no choice” He said.   
“Gimme a minute, I’m getting there. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey” She replied.   
“We aint got a minute, catch the damn monkey, hurry”

As he spoke, the lock released and she swung the door open, dragging the stroller inside and stepping aside to allow Daryl through. He blocked the door with some shelving and they both turned to survey their surroundings. 

“Oooh” Mia said, marvelling at the rows of full shelves and looking at Daryl “Ho-ly shit!” 

The Walkers outside the store were now banging on the glass, but the makeshift barrier was holding pretty well. Daryl set to work instantly, jumping the counter and finding a large bag to fill with drugs. Mia picked up a cardboard box from the floor and swept an entire shelf of painkillers, anti-inflammatories, bandages and band-aids into it before following Daryl behind the counter and throwing in all the Antibiotic’s she could find. The rest of her box was filled with baby formula, food, lotions and pregnancy vitamins.   
Daryl collected anything and everything, knowing that stocking up the doctor’s office in Alexandria would be a huge benefit to everyone. Mia had now started on her second box after balancing the first one on top of the stroller. She caught Daryl’s eye as she moved through the aisles, dropping things into the box. She knew he had been staring at her from across the store. 

“Gotta figure out how we’re gettin’ outta here” He said.   
“That’s easy” She said breezily.   
“It is?”   
“Yeah, all these stores along this side have back doors that lead to the same hallway, which leads to a door to outside to the parking lot, somewhere.” She explained as she balanced the second box on top of the first. “I uh…did more than one robbery in my time.” 

Daryl, undeterred by her admission, threw the bag over his shoulder and weaved around the counter, stuffing it into the shelf under the stroller. 

“Time to go, before they smash their way in here” He said.

Mia pushed the stroller to the back of the store and waited as Daryl kicked the door to the staff area in. She was right, along the back wall of the staff canteen, there was a fire escape that lead down to a door which opened 200 metres from her truck. 

As she pulled the truck out of the service yard, she noticed another truck in the corner of the parking lot. A white one with a shutter on the back. Slowing down to a crawl she leaned out of her window. 

“You see that?” She said to Daryl, who was craning his neck to see around her. 

“Yeah, probably empty though” 

She hit the brakes and opened the door, all too aware that the Parking lot it’s self now had a huge hole in the fence and there was a hefty quantity of hungry Walkers nearby. 

“Scooch over, stay in the driver’s seat, if shit goes down, come get me” She ordered. Daryl did as she asked and slid over into her seat as she climbed from the truck and started across the tarmac to the white truck. 

She pulled her gun from her waistband and flicked the safety off, keeping it firmly held out in front of her. The driver’s side door to the truck was open and Mia could hear a faint rustling sound inside. Expecting to see a Walker, she edged closer until she could see the thick material of a leather jacket and a black hat. Realising she was dealing with a live human, and the last ones they’d encountered would probably have eaten them, she was taking no chances. Creeping up behind the stranger, she pressed the gun to the back of his head. 

“OK, no sudden moves and I won’t shoot you” She said calmly. The stranger froze and slowly shifted to face her.   
“Hi” He said. His face was buried in a mass of beard and long, straight hair.   
“Out of the truck. Now” She ordered. 

Daryl was already halfway across the parking lot when he realised Mia had found someone alive, he had his crossbow over his shoulder and his gun held out in front of him. 

“You heard her. Nice n slow” He said as he approached.  
The man slid out of the trucks front seat and raised his hands.   
“My name’s Paul Rovia. People call me Jesus. I’m not a threat to you” He said glancing from Daryl to Mia.  
“Are you a cannibal?” Mia asked.   
“What? No. I’m not.”  
“Don’t look so surprised. Last guy to put a gun to one of our heads wanted to eat us. I stabbed him in the throat” Mia explained flatly.

“I’m not a cannibal. Do you have a group?” He enquired. Mia and Daryl hesitated before Daryl finally answered.   
“Nah, just us. You?”   
He shook his head. “No. I’m alone” 

“Make sure he doesn’t move” Mia said before running back to her truck and retrieving a length of rope from a box of supplies on the flatbed. When she returned, the two men were quiet, eyeballing one another. She fastened the rope around Jesus’ wrists, behind his back and went to Daryl’s side. She shielded her lips with her hand as she whispered into his ear. 

“He’s lying to us. We need to put him in the back of this truck and get the fuck away from this place.” 

Daryl nodded to her, his gun still pointed at Jesus’ head. Mia went to the back of the truck and rolled up the shutter. Daryl heard her gasp. 

“No wonder you were trying to hotwire this thing.” She said as she walked back to them, grabbing the rope between his wrists and shoving him to the back of the vehicle. Daryl followed and Mia saw his eyes widen as he noticed what she was referring to. Boxes and boxes of food and drink. Mia pushed Jesus in among them. 

“You don’t have to do this, we can work together” He said, his back sliding down some cardboard boxes until he was slumped on the floor.   
“Yeah, as soon as you stop lying to us” Mia spat, pulling the shutter down and locking it.   
She turned to Daryl, a questioning look crept across his face. 

“How ya know he’s lyin’?” He asked. 

“His beard is trimmed, he’s clean, his clothes aren’t covered in dirt and he doesn’t stink to high heaven like I did after months of being on my own. He lives somewhere, somewhere with other people no doubt, this is a huge haul to take back and have all to yourself. Although, I know I wouldn’t have passed this up back in the day, I just know he’s lying.”   
Daryl shrugged, satisfied with her answer. 

“We should take him to Rick, see what he can get out of him” He said. Mia nodded.   
“I’ll hotwire the truck” She said, making off in the direction of the open door. She heard Daryl scoff behind her.  
“What?” She said over her shoulder.   
“There’s nothin’ ya can’t do, huh?” He said. She smiled and thought for a moment.   
“There is one thing I haven’t mastered yet. But we’ll talk about that another time” She winked at him and hopped into the front seat of the truck. 

Daryl drove Mia’s vehicle while she cruised along in the new, food filled truck with it’s bad suspension and noisy engine. She cursed the less than comfortable ride after being so used to her own, personalised, faithful truck. The lack of CD player and hard seats played on her mind and she wondered if Daryl would be willing to swap halfway home. He had heard nothing from the newcomer in the back since they set off and leaned back in her seat, flicking her finished cigarette out of the window. She was startled by Daryl hitting the trucks horn behind her repeatedly. As she leaned out of the widow and glanced behind her, she could see Daryl pointing upwards. He also leaned out of his window and she strained to hear what he was saying. 

“Sommbitch is on the roof!” He yelled. 

Mia realised what he meant. Their prisoner had managed to get out and was on the roof of the truck. She could now hear a thumping sound and quickly tried to think of her next move. Daryl sped her truck up beside her yelled through the open window. 

“Hit the brakes!” 

Mia slammed her foot down on the break as hard as she could, she impact throwing her back into the seats headrest before she lunged forwards like a ragdoll over the steering wheel. She saw Jesus roll off the roof and down onto the ground in front of her. 

Daryl had jumped out of her truck and was sprinting towards him, unhooking his gun from his waistband. Jesus sprang up and made for the trucks doors as mia put it into reverse and sped off across a nearby field, trying to shake him loose. He kept running, following the trucks trail, with Daryl hot on his heels. Mia spun the truck sideways, catching sight of Daryl jumping and talking Jesus to the ground. She hit the break again and hopped out of the truck, realising, to her horror, that she was now surrounded by Walkers from the farm that she’d driven across. She spun around and looked at Daryl, who was now back on his feet and racing across the field towards her, Jesus in his sights. 

“I got him!” He yelled at her. She quickly unsheathed her knife and began killing off the Walkers around her, running from one to the other, sinking the blade into their soft skulls. By the fifth one, she had turned to check on Daryl who was now at the truck being held at gunpoint with his own gun. She watched as a Walker crept up behind him, her breath catching in her throat as she tried to cry out and warn him. 

“Duck” She heard Jesus say. Daryl ducked and Jesus shot the Walker behind him. 

Mia turned her attention back to the remaining dead, three of them rounding an abandoned car, making their way to her. She picked them off quickly, just in time to see the white truck rolling down the field towards a lake. 

“No! Nooo!” she yelled as she ran to it, seeing Daryl and Jesus tumble out of the door just as the vehicle hit the water. Mia ran to Daryl, bending down to check he was OK.   
“Shit!” He spat as he stood up. The two of them watched as the truck slowly sank, the water consuming it and rendering all of it’s contents useless. Daryl approached Jesus, who was unconscious on the floor and flipped him over, kicking him in the side in the process.

“We should leave him here” He snapped. Mia shook her head and gently touched his arm. 

“He saved your life. I saw it. He didn’t have to do that. You were right, we should take him back with us, he could be useful or at least provide Rick and Deanna with information about his group” Mia said. Daryl breathed heavily, a thin film of sweat covered his forehead, arms and chest and his hair stuck to his face. He stared at the still stranger in front of them before looking over at Mia, her eyes pleading with him. 

“Fine” He grumbled. “But he stays tied up and we guard him this time”.   
“I think I may have a solution to that” Mia smiled. 

On their way back to Mia’s truck, they carried Jesus like an animal being dragged off to the slaughter between them. Daryl had his arms and his upper body, while Mia held his legs. They placed him across the back seat and Mia set off in the direction of the abandoned cars the Walkers had come from. Scanning the bodies of the rotting dead, she spotted what she was looking for. 

“Sup, officer” She quipped as she kneeled down and removed the belt from a Walker dressed in a cop’s uniform. “Knew you shitheads would come in handy one day”. 

Daryl stood and stared at Jesus in the backseat. Observing his clean clothing and trimmed bread. Mia had been right, he did look like he’d come from a community somewhere and was far too well kept to have been roaming around on his own. He heard Mia pacing through the grass behind him and turned to see a pair of handcuffs hanging from her index finger.

“Lookey what I found! Let’s see Houdini get out of these without a key” 

“Nice” Daryl commented. 

“Oh yeah? I’ve been a very, very bad girl. You might need to punish me when we get back.” she said with a completely straight face. 

Daryl stared at her in disbelief. As much as he had got used to her forward and sometimes shameless comments, she was still making a habit of shocking him on a daily basis. 

“I’m kidding” She giggled, nudging his arm. She leaned into the truck and cuffed Jesus’s hands behind his back, passing the key to Daryl for safekeeping. She slammed the door shut and stepped in front of him. 

“Unless of course…” She said, lifting her hand and running her fingers along the collar of his shirt, lightly grazing the skin on his neck “…You suddenly develop an urge to restrain me. You should keep those cuffs when we’re done with them.” 

Daryl held his breath and looked at the floor. He wanted to look up so badly, to look into her bright eyes and feel what she wanted him to feel. But fear of the unknown, of something he’d never experienced before, stopped him from being able to face it.   
With her finger, Mia gently tickled the small, exposed part of his chest above where his shirt was buttoned. His skin was hot, sweaty and soft under her touch. Knowing he was probably extremely uncomfortable, she stopped after a few seconds and when his eyes met hers, gave him a seductive smile before turning and climbing into the truck. 

They had stopped for the night again in the same spot as before. Jesus had woken up shortly after they’d set off. Remaining quiet on the journey. By nightfall, Mia had helped him out of the truck and sat him against its wheel. She fed him and gave him water but refused to remove the cuffs as Daryl glared at him from across the clearing. She sat beside him and offered him a cigarette. He politely declined and sighed. 

“Is he going to look at me like that all night?” He asked, referring to Daryl.   
“Probably.” Mia replied. “He hot headed and you did try and steal our truck”  
Jesus’s head snapped round and he looked at her with shock.   
“I think you’ll find that was my truck. I found it first.”   
“The only reason you could get into that Parking lot was because I drew all the Walkers away” She explained. He laughed to himself.   
“I know you lied to us. You do have a group, don’t you?” Mia asked. He thought for a second, before nodding.  
“So do we. We’re just trying to protect them.” She drew a spiral in the dirt between them with a twig as she spoke. “We’re taking you back with us. Maybe we can work with your group or something. Maybe we can help each other out. But if you try to hurt anyone, I’ll let him kill you.” She motioned towards Daryl, who was now sharpening a piece of wood into an arrow and glancing up at Jesus intermittently.  
“You have my word. I won’t hurt anyone.” He said. “What are your names?”   
“I’m Mia, that’s Daryl”   
“You and Daryl, you…together?” He said quietly, to avoid the archer overhearing.   
Mia stifled a laugh. “Nope.” She smiled slyly and looked at him. “I’m kinda working on that. He’s a tough nut to crack”   
“I can tell. He doesn’t seem very…domesticated” Jesus said as Daryl wiped his nose on the back of his hand.


	13. Chapter 13

As the gates to Alexandria rolled open, Mia caught sight of Jesus in the rear-view mirror, staring up out of the window at the large walls and guards in the watchtowers. Daryl slumped down in his seat next to her, turning his knife over in his hands. She crept the truck up the street and parked outside Deanna’s place.  
“I’ll take him” Daryl said to her “You go drop the stuff off with Olivia”. Mia nodded turned to Jesus in the back. 

“Remember, we won’t hurt you, unless you hurt us. Don’t be an ass. OK?” She warned.

Jesus smiled “OK”. 

She watched as they walked up the path, Daryl gripping tightly onto the handcuffs at Jesus’s back. She didn’t get any bad vibes from him. In fact, she was confident enough to say she believed he had no malicious intentions and was simply scavenging for his group. Exactly the same as her and Daryl. She left his fate in the hands of Rick and Deanna, who would ultimately make the decision about what to do with him. Although she hoped he would turn out to be useful. 

She moved the truck further up the street and stopped outside the pantry. Olivia was sat on the steps outside, writing on her clipboard when she noticed the truck stop in front of her. Her face brightened when she saw Mia. 

“What have we here?!” She said excitedly, standing up from her step. Mia jumped out and threw back the plastic covering the flatbed to reveal a baby stroller full to the brim, along with two boxes and a bag of medical supplies.  
“The baby stuff is for Maggie. I’ll take that to her myself. Everything else is for the Medical room. We got antibiotics, Olivia. A shit ton of em!”  
Although Alexandria had a doctor, what they lacked was medication.  
She squeezed Mia’s forearm and grinned before leaning into the truck and taking a box. Mia took the second one and the bag Daryl had filled and took them into the pantry, where she helped count and check everything. 

Olivia had told her where Maggie lived. She knocked on the door and waited, hearing rustling from inside. She shifted her stance and glanced at the baby stroller behind her, pleased with her results. The door clicked open and Maggie smiled when she saw Mia. 

“Hi” She said warmly. 

“Hey” Mia said “I uh…I managed to get everything on your list. Well, Daryl and I. I know it wasn’t on your list, but I got you a stroller” She stepped aside and saw Maggie’s eyes light up when she saw it. 

“Oh my god” Maggie whispered as she moved from the doorway and ran her hand along the strollers soft, grey lining. 

“There’s more in the truck. I tried to get unisex stuff. Yellows and Grey’s. There’s vitamin’s and baby food too, Olivia has them at the pantry.” Mia explained. 

Maggie turned to her and for a second, there was silence before she threw her arms around Mia’s shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. 

“Thank you so much” She said, her voice muffled by speaking into Mia’s shoulder.

“It’s cool. No problem” Mia said breezily. “I’ll keep an eye out from now on”. 

Mia was pleased to be back home. She had spent the rest of the day unpacking her truck and relaxing. She took a shower, washed her hair, made a pizza and picked a book to read. In her living room, Daryl’s crossbow sat propped up against the couch. She was unsure if he’d forgotten to take it with him, or if he’d left it on purpose, so he had an excuse to catch up with her later. She doubted Daryl would scheme in such a way, so put it down to a genuine mistake. Still, her eyes kept lifting from the words in her book to the weapon and she knew she was expecting him soon. 

The house was warm, heated up all day under the suns rays. Mia had changed into her long, black gypsy skirt and the new top she had retrieved from the Mall. Her bare feet and black toenails wiggled as she tried to apply her mind to reading, only to end up slamming the book down on the coffee table and grabbing her smokes and lighter from the arm of the couch. 

As she opened the door, she saw Daryl standing on her porch, chewing his thumbnail. 

“Evening Mr. Dixon” She said, smiling broadly at him.  
“Hey” He mumbled. “you got my crossbow?”  
“Yeah, it’s in here” She said, turning to walk into the living room. 

“It’s OK. It can stay there, for now” He said. Mia gave him a puzzled look. “You uh…wanna go for a walk, or somethin’?” He asked nervously. She nodded enthusiastically and slid on a pair of black sneakers by the door. Daryl turned to walk down the steps as Mia closed the door. Meeting him on the path, she placed her arm around his. He looked down at where her hand snaked around his forearm and half smiled at her, shoving his hand in his pocket and allowing her to keep this small amount of physical contact. 

“So what’s going on with Jesus?” Mia asked.  
“Rick and Deanna grilled him for a while. Rick seems pretty sure he’s tellin’ the truth. Group of us are headin’ out tomorrow to check out his community, s’called Hilltop. Deanna wanted him kept away from everyone until mornin’.”  
She thought for a moment and processed this information.  
“You want me to go with you tomorrow?” She said.  
“Naw. I want ya to stay here. If he’s lyin’, we don’t know what we’ll find”  
“Are you getting protective over me, Dixon?” She prodded. Daryl shot her a quick glance before returning his gaze to the street in front. Mia veered off their path, steering them onto the grass along the side of a house.  
“I don’t want ya there if it all goes to shit” He said.  
“You are, aren’t you?! You’re trying to protect me.” She questioned.  
Daryl sighed loudly “God Dammit, Mia”  
“Fine! OK I’ll stay put” She giggled, knowing she was annoying him. 

As they walked slowly along the back of the houses, only the few street lights that worked and the light of the moon lit their way. The area was quiet and Mia listened to Daryl’s breathing as they moved, arm in arm. She glanced sideways at him, studying his features and wishing she could just grab him, shove him against a wall and kiss him. Self-control wasn’t something she had been good at. Finding herself in charge of her own life from the age of sixteen, with no one to answer to. She had been driven by impulse, desperation and anger that had only been quelled by the apocalypse and her need to stay alive. 

“Stop it” Daryl said suddenly.  
“Huh? What? Stop what?” She said, snapping out of her daydream.  
“Stop starin at me”  
Mia squeezed his arm gently. “Sorry. You know why I am”  
“Yeah, I know” He said, as if she were becoming an amusingly persistent admirer. Which she had to admit, she was.  
“You stare at me too. I catch you every time” She jibed.  
“Naw, I don’t” He argued.

“Yes, you do, don’t tell lies, Daryl. I can tell when people are lying, you know that” She giggled and felt relief when she saw him laugh too. They had walked half of the perimeter fence and carried on round to where they would finally end up back at Mia’s place in the end. With no one around to see them and feeling slightly more bold than usual, Daryl removed his hand from his pocket, unwound their arms and laced his fingers through hers. She looked down, failing to hide her surprise, her mouth wide open. Choosing not to comment on the action, she looked forwards again, biting her lip to stop herself from smiling like a teenager with her crush. 

“It suits you” He said  
“What does?” She asked. He nodded towards her top and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She wondered how long it had taken him to notice and had to admit, she didn’t expect him to at all. “Oh, thanks” 

“Ya look good in anything though” He looked up at her face, his hair hung in front of his eyes. She cursed Alexandria for not being better lit, wanting to see more of him as she strolled along hand in hand with this mysterious and alluring person. Impressed by his effort to compliment her, she placed her head on his shoulder for a moment and brought her other hand around, hugging his arm before letting go. 

As they walked up the path to Mia’s house, Daryl reluctantly let go of her hand, wishing he could hold it for the rest of the night. She turned to him and went to speak, he noticed her hesitate and exhale loudly. 

“I’m trying to find an excuse to invite you in and so far, I’ve ruled out ‘hey, you wanna make-out?’, ‘please will you fix my bathroom door’ and ‘wanna fuck?’. Sooo, you want some Pizza? I made it earlier. It’s vegetarian but no one’s perfect”.  
Daryl tried not to laugh and bit down on his bottom lip. 

“Sure” he managed, as Mia turned and hopped up the stairs. 

In the living room, Daryl sat on the couch and picked up his crossbow. Checking it over quickly, he placed it on the large coffee table. He could hear Mia singing to herself in the kitchen, carefree and without inhibitions. She entered the room, pausing to kick off her sneakers, the homemade pizza on a large wooden board and a bottle of red wine. 

“Sorry, wine is all I have left” She said, placing it all on the table and sitting down.  
“It’s fine” He said quietly, taking a piece of pizza and settling back on the couch. She poured them both a glass and flicked the speaker next to her on. Slow, melodic rock music played on a low volume as she sat next to him, cross legged and facing him. She took a piece of pizza for herself and took a large bite. Watching Daryl devour his slice in minutes. The two of them ate quietly, Daryl nodding away in approval and raising his glass of wine in a ‘cheers’ motion, his mouth full of food. 

Mia didn’t know how long she could take this. She could only describe it as torture. A torture she was willing to endure to a certain extent, but the more time she spent with him and the more she looked at him, the more she wanted him.  
When the pizza was gone, Daryl sat back and took a large gulp of wine. 

“Ya make good pizza” He said.  
“Thanks” She said. Knowing she was staring and this time not giving a damn. He felt her eyes on him and shifted to his side, allowing himself a better view of her. The two of them now on opposite ends of the large couch, but facing one another. 

Daryl had so many things that he wanted to ask her, things he wanted to know but was too out of his depth to ask. He took another large mouthful of red wine, hoping it would provide him with some encouragement. 

“At the mall, ya said there was somethin’ ya aint mastered yet. Ya gon’ tell me what that is?” He asked, feeling a stab of nerves as he waited for her response.  
Mia cleared her throat and sipped her wine, taking her time. 

“What do you think it is?” She said.  
He shrugged “I dunno”  
“You” she told him.

Daryl licked his lips and thought. He knew she would say something like this, but hadn’t figured out how to respond. He looked down into his lap momentarily before taking a deep breath. 

“I don’t think I can give ya what ya want” He muttered.  
“You haven’t been in a relationship before, have you?” Mia asked. Her comment obviously making him highly uncomfortable. He fidgeted in his seat and sighed before shaking his head subtly. 

“No” He said so quietly, Mia could barely hear him.  
“Do you really think that matters to me?” She questioned, taking another sip of her wine and placing it on the coffee table. 

“I dunno” He shrugged “Does it?”  
“No!” Mia cried. “Of course not!”  
She scooted toward him on the couch and placed her hand over his. 

“Listen to me, and listen good, OK? When I look at you, I see strength, I see a survivor, a selfless, kind person who has come a long way from being a redneck with a bad temper. When I look at you, something stirs in me, it’s like you’re the only person that ever makes me feel nervous, you give me butterflies and you wanna know what the best thing is…?” 

She took his wine out of his hand and put it on the table, taking his other hand.

“…It’s when I look at you, and you’re already looking at me”

She felt his hands move in hers, he was squeezing them, feeling her fingers and pulling her closer to him. 

In his mind, he had never expected anyone to say something like that to him, let alone really mean it. He was astonished that she felt this way, and this situation is something he never thought he would encounter. As she shifted closer to him, he could smell the familiar fruity smell of her shampoo again and realised how much he liked it. It reminded him of the night he had pushed her against the wall on their first trip, breathing in the smell of her hair and skin. He had felt ashamed of his impulsive reaction that night, regretting putting his hands on her that way, but also treasuring the experience of being so close to her. His heart rate started to increase and he felt himself growing hot. 

“I know you don’t know what to say, it’s OK” She assured him. “You don’t have to say anything” 

Mia saw his eyes dart around the room and knew this is what he did when he was building up to saying something he found difficult.

“I feel that way, bout you.” He mumbled, looking down into his lap. “I aint afraid of nothin…‘cept screwing this up”

Mia hadn’t noticed she was holding her breath. She released it and gently lifted a hand to his chin, turning his face to hers so she could see is expression and feeling the soft, short, beard he had grown.  
“You’re not going to screw anything up. You just need to be honest with me. I am never going to react badly to you telling me how you feel” She said, letting go of his chin and feeling pleased when he didn’t look away. 

“I’m not making the first move, Daryl. That ball is in your court. I don’t want to push you too much”  
“Sittin’ here holdin’ ya hand because ya pushed me. Never would have gotten that far without that” He admitted. 

Mia smiled and nodded in agreement. She shuffled back slightly and lifted one of his arms, bringing it around her waist as she settled against his body, resting her head on his chest and sliding her hand over his stomach. He spread his fingers out, feeling as much as he could of the curve of her body. She could feel every muscle in him tense as she relaxed against him but as the minutes passed, his anxiety began to subside. Eventually, he lowered his face and breathed into her hair, enjoying the intoxicating feeling of having her wrapped around him voluntarily, for a bigger reason other than staying warm. Because she liked him, and he liked her. 

They stayed as they were for at least an hour. She had moved and placed her head in his lap, laying on her back and looking up at him. Daryl gently stroked Mia’s hair as she chatted away about nothing in particular. He had to admit, he wasn’t listening, being so focused on her touch, her smell, how her body felt against his. He watched her eyes and lips as she spoke, taken aback by the beauty of her features, her freckles by far his favourite. The whole experience throwing up intense and profound feelings in him that he never knew he existed. 

“I’m going to stop talking now” Mia said, feeling self-conscious that she’d been rambling on for a long time.  
“Naw, don’t” He replied, never wanting to stop being able to look at her. She sat up and ran her hands through her long hair, swinging her legs off the couch and standing up. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned.  
Daryl took a deep breath and accepted that it was getting late and he should leave.  
“I gotta leave early in the mornin’ with Rick and the others for Hilltop, I should go” 

Mia smiled sadly at him but knew he was right, she was tired too and was looking forward to getting into bed. She handed him his crossbow, which he hung over his shoulder and followed him to the door. As he went to unlatch it, her hand shot out from the side of him and held it shut. He turned his head and saw her step forward until their faces were inches apart, her hand slid around his waist and her body pressed against his. He held his breath, not wanting to move a millimetre in case this moment was ruined. Nerves shot through his veins and his breathing deepened.

“Are you ever going to kiss me, Dixon?” She whispered, brushing the hair from his eyes with her other hand.

“Maybe” he said.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have a title! YAY! Thank you to the lovely Leerna who thought up 'Crossbows and Lockpicks' for me!  
> Here's another chapter. A shorter one, but I think you'll like this one. *wink*

“But not now?” Mia asked, peering up at him with a seductive and longing look. She waited as Daryl’s eyes searched hers, waited for the signal, the subtle pull on her waist, but nothing happened. Again, his lips parted and she knew he was searching the corners of his mind for something to say. She remained there, one hand around his waist, one gently resting on the side of his face. Her chest pressed against him and one leg subtly placed between his. She was sure he was aware of every part of her that was in contact with his body. When he finally moved, she wasn’t expecting him to lift his hand and lightly brush her freckles with his thumb. 

“Not now” He said quietly, and Mia’s heart sank. She would have to wait even longer. Telling herself that patience is a virtue. Despite her disappointment, she did not loosen her grip on him, instead, slowly moving her hand around to the back of his head, tracing lines with her fingers, up and down his neck, in his hair. 

“You sure about that?” She pressed, trying one more time. He dipped his head forward, his forehead connecting with hers and his hand still gently resting on her face. 

“You’ve got this far” She whispered as she felt him shake his head from side to side. Disappointment washed over her again. Staying as they were, neither of them willing to break away, they listened to each other’s heavy, deep breathing and eventually, Mia felt him lift his head and his body tensed. 

“Stop” he said. Mia instantly removed her hand from his waist and took a small step back, her other hand remaining on the back of his neck.  
“What’s wrong?” She asked.  
“Just, stop.” He said, pulling her hand away.  
“Wait, what did I do?” She fretted. 

He stepped away from her and ran his hands over his face, catching sight of her looking at him. 

“Daryl-”

“Just don’t!” He snapped. “I'm goin”. He grabbed at the door handle, attempting to pull it open but Mia just slammed it shut again. Leaning her weight on it and glaring at him. Her eyes full of anger and hurt.

“No” She said firmly. “You don’t get to do that to me. You can’t just run away and bury your head in the sand when something makes you uncomfortable. Please, tell me what I did wrong” Her eyes narrowed at him and her body language instantly changed to portray the strong stance of a woman that didn’t appreciate being made a fool of. 

“If you don’t want this, you need to be straight up with me and tell me. Because I get that this is all new to you, but I am not cool with humiliating myself, Daryl.” She spat. “Now what happened?” 

He backed away even further, his back now against the wall, and his crossbow clunking against the paintwork. 

“What, Daryl?! Tell me what’s going in in that head of-” Mia cried. 

“GOD DAMMIT!” He shouted, throwing his crossbow to the floor. “I wasn’t afraid of nothin’ before I met you! Nothin’! You’re so fuckin’ beautiful it terrifies me! I told ya, I aint never seen nobody like you before. Ya turned up in my life and screwed up my head an’ every time I look at ya I feel all these, all these… _feelings _and I dunno what the fuck they are. It takes all my energy to keep my shit together around you. You got these eyes, these pretty blue eyes and those fuckin’ freckles, they drive me crazy. You drive me crazy and I don’t know what the hell to do about it. This is all new to me…so just back off a minute!” He yelled.__

__The emphasis on the word ‘feelings’ was not lost on Mia. She stepped back and blinked at him, swallowing hard. They both stood in awkward silence, the atmosphere tense and uncomfortable._ _

__“That was a lot of compliments in one angry speech” She finally whispered. Her head spinning. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, his outburst had obviously taken its toll on him and now he had blurted out what was going on inside his head, he was left feeling vulnerable and exposed._ _

__“I’m not beautiful” Mia said gloomily. “Far from it. But thank you”_ _

__She smiled at him before picking up his crossbow and handing it to him. Clicking the latch on the door, she pulled it open, standing to the side to let him leave._ _

__Daryl slowly walked out of the door, stopping on the porch and looking back at her._ _

“M’sorry I yelled at ya or embarrassed ya. I didn’t mean to” He said. Mia nodded and winked at him.  
“You can make it up to me another time”  
“I will” He said, sending a shot of excitement through her.  
“Be careful tomorrow. Please come and see me when you get back” She said.  
“Yeah, course” He said, turning and walking down the path.  
Mia closed the door and leaned her back against it, taking a deep breath and going over and over what he had said. 

Outside Mia’s house, Daryl had stopped at the bottom of the stairs, not making it to the end of the path before he paused and considered going back. He lit a cigarette and paced back and forth where he was, mulling over the implications of knocking on the door. What would he say? Would he even be able to say anything? He knew what he wanted, he wanted what she wanted. He wanted to kiss her, but had no idea where to start. Having spent his entire life looking out for himself, avoiding his violent father and following his impulsive and dangerous brother around, he hadn’t had time to focus on the female of the species, missing the opportunity of a first kiss, a first love or anything else that comes with it. Now, in his adult years, he had resigned himself to the fact that it was never going to happen for him and that was something that he had never given much thought to and therefore, never bothered him. That was, until he met a certain woman who wore her pain on her skin, black clothes, strength in her eyes and said things that made him highly uncomfortable. 

Mia had wandered upstairs and changed into her satin night clothes, black shorts and a spaghetti strap top. She sat on the end of her bed, absent mindedly brushing the end of her hair, over and over again and staring into the corner of the room. She felt slightly guilty that she had pushed and pushed him so far out of his comfort zone that he’d reacted the only way he knew how, with anger. She hadn’t taken it personally, he had called her beautiful and she couldn’t get it out of her mind. She was snapped out of her repetitive hair brushing by a knock at the door. 

__She trotted down the stairs, her bare feet sinking into the thick carpet of the hallway and opened the door. She could hear her heart beating in her head and feel the butterflies in her stomach return when she saw Daryl stood in the doorway, his intense stare bearing into her soul. She let go of the handle and backed into the hall._ _

__

__

__“That was quick” She joked.  
“I need a minute” He said, walking into the house and slamming the door behind him. He unhooked his crossbow from his shoulder and leaned it against the wall before stopping in front of her. His eyes searched her body slowly, up and down, noticing she had changed and finding the cling of the material over her curves appealing. _ _

__“I have lots of minutes, for you” She said.  
He played with his hands, then crossed his arms, then uncrossed them and tugged on the front of his shirt. Mia was exhausted just watching him. _ _

__“I’ve let a lot of people down, I don’t wanna regret not actin’ when I should have”. He explained. Mia saw him swallow hard and continue his fidgeting, shifting his stance, as if preparing for something._ _

Daryl took a deep breath and grabbed her hand, slowly pulling her close to him. She could feel his entire body shaking and a wave of empathy washed over her. She placed her hands on his chest as he lowered his face to hers, his nose brushing hers, their breath mingling. Mia’s heart fluttered inside her chest as his lips hovered above hers. 

Daryl’s hand was threaded into her soft hair behind her head, his other hand on her hip, feeling her silky clothing and warm skin along the top of her shorts. His mind was screaming at him not to screw this up, not to freak out and leave and now, with his lips almost on hers, he’d almost made it. 

Mia knew that unless she accepted she had to make the first move, he would stand there looking at her all night. She took the plunge and pressed her lips to his, feeling him hold his breath as she kissed him. Not knowing where to place them, his hands lifted clumsily before falling back to his sides again. Mia took his hand and he pulled away from her slightly, looking down into her eyes. 

“You can touch me, It’s OK” She whispered. 

She kissed him again, this time it was laced with longing and a hint of urgency as she felt him lightly place a shaking hand around her waist. She gently traced his lips with hers, slipping her tongue in his mouth and feeling relieved when she felt him respond. 

Now he had crossed the threshold, he allowed Mia to gently push him backwards into the wall. He intensified their connection as he ran both hands around her waist, creeping under her clothing, feeling her smooth, pale skin and knowing she was smiling as they kissed. The sensation of his fingers searching under her top made her shudder in pleasure. She cradled his face with her hand, brushing over the stubble of his cheek with her thumb, her other hand slowly feeling down his body, from his chest to his stomach. 

Mia could barely think, everything around her had fallen away. She had found out so many things about him, but now, she could barely remember her own name. Nothing else mattered but this moment. She had been longing for this and now she allowed herself to fall from the ledge she had been clinging too. She had broken down Daryl’s wall and here he was, kissing her. Finally. 

She moved from his lips and began lightly kissing down his neck, aware of his hands, now moving further up inside of clothing, to her ribs, lifting her top. As she felt one of his thumbs brush the side of her breast, she exhaled heavily and a small, subtle groan of pleasure escaped her lips. 

Daryl suddenly stopped and dropped his head, resting it against her shoulder for a moment before taking a step to the side, breaking their contact and running his hands over his face. 

“Sorry.I-, M’sorry” He stammered. 

Mia looked up at him sympathetically, struggling to catch her breath after having melted at his touch. 

“It’s alright. Did I do something?” She asked  
“Naw” He said, brushing her hair over her shoulder and running a finger down her arm. She shuddered at the ticklish, electric feeling it provoked and couldn’t wait until she could feel him do that all over her. “It’s not you, ya amazin’, I just…I dunno. Shit” He spluttered. 

“I didn’t mean to freak you out. Too much too soon?” She asked. He looked at her sideways through his hair and nodded slightly. 

“Maybe. Aint ya fault. I want this, I want you. It’s just…” He started as he picked up his crossbow and chewed his bottom lip. “I dunno, I guess my mind get’s all crowded n’ shit n’ I start thinkin’ too much” 

“I can very patient if I put my mind to it” She winked “But y’know, if you wanna knock on my door late at night and randomly kiss me in my hallway as practice, I’m sure as hell not going to stop you.” 

Daryl laughed shyly and stepped towards the door.  
“I’ll see ya tomorrow” He said as he opened it and walked down the steps.  
“Dixon” She called out to him. He paused and turned to face her.  
“That was hot” She leaned on the doorframe and grinned at him.  
He slowly walked backwards, keeping her in his sights. 

“Yeah… it was” He said, giving her another shy smile before turning back. She watched until he was out of sight, admiring everything about him and feeling a jolt of excitement and pent up energy tickling at her nerve endings. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Another Chapter!  
> Thanks for all the lovely comments, I LOVE reading that people are enjoying this!  
> Please excuse any mistakes, some do slip through the net ;)

In the weeks that followed Daryl and Mia’s kiss. She had hardly seen him. He had volunteered for countless outings, hardly leaving Rick’s side and frequently returning to Alexandria completely exhausted and covered in mud and blood. He became nothing more than a blur in the distance. 

When Alexandria was overrun with a heard of Walkers, many of the townsfolk died. Mia ran from house to house, trying to help as many people as she could. When Daryl finally arrived in a fuel truck and clutching an RPG, she knew he was about to save the lives of everyone that was left. She had ran to Deanna’s once the fire from the lake ignited, desperately trying to track her down and finding her gone. 

Stepping out onto the dark street, the only light provided by the raging fire, Mia breathlessly watched the scene in front of her as the Walkers emerged from every corner of Alexandria, stumbling towards their demise. Her face and shirt caked with blood, she caught Daryl’s eye from across the street and smiled at him before heading back To the chaos to help round up the bodies and finish of anyone that was turning. 

Three days later, the town was still in disarray, the walls were being re-built and the dead were being buried. Mia had been out looking for Deanna for hours every day, hoping to find her alive somewhere, but deep down she knew that if that were the case, she’d have come back to her town by now. She offered to help dig more graves and was taking the shower when she heard the doorbell. Cursing her visitors crappy timing, she wrapped a towel around herself and ran downstairs. Her wet feet making footprints on the carpet. She pulled the door open to see Daryl, clutching a piece of paper. 

“Hey. Your timing is impeccable. I was taking a shower” She said, her hair dripping on the floor.  
“I wanted to give ya this” He mumbled, handing her the paper. She tucked the top of her towel in under her arm and took the paper. Opening it up she saw a map.  
“What’s this for?” She asked.  
“”s’the route to Hilltop, if ya ever need it.  
“Oh…why would I need this?”  
“M’headin out with some of the others. Maggie’s real sick. They got someone there that can help her. Just thought you should know where it is, if shit ever goes down here again, like before”  
Mia gave him a confused look. “You’re talking like you’re not coming back”  
“I aint said that. Should be back in a few hours, It’s just in case…” He glanced over his shoulder, checking for anyone that may be watching, before stepping inside and closing the door.  
“…in case anything else happens here. I want ya to have someplace to go”

Mia nodded and felt a breeze around her wet legs and shivered as she placed the map into her coat pocket, hanging from a hook on the wall. Daryl watched her as she moved, his eyes falling onto the bare skin of her shoulders, her chest, her legs. Glistening waterdrops on her skin making her even more appealing. He had been so busy he hadn’t realised that he had only seen her from a distance in weeks.

“Missed ya” He said quietly.  
Mia’s eyes widened at this most revealing and honest of comments from him.  
“You did?” She questioned, not believing him.  
“Yeh” He clumsily motioned towards her towel. “I got ya at a bad time, I’ll go”  
“It’s fine” She said, backing towards the stairs “You can take this off me, or you can make me a coffee. Your choice”  
She saw a flicker of amusement on his face and the corner of his mouth lift into a slight smile as he walked into the kitchen. Mia climbed the stairs.  
“Dammit, Dixon” She muttered to herself. 

In the kitchen, Daryl snapped the coffee machine on and leaned on the counter, his head down and his hair hanging low in front of him. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He had known Mia for a while now, he was getting used to her ways, her comments and the way she looked at him. He had even kissed her, felt her skin and the shape of her body under his hands and almost completely lost himself. Yet she still made him nervous. 

The hissing of the boiling water was interrupted by the sound of Mia entering the room, dressed in dark blue jeans and a black tank top. Daryl glanced over his shoulder momentarily but stayed where he was, eventually moving his gaze out of the window in front of him. He jolted when he felt Mia’s hands around his waist. 

“Relax” She purred into his ear “it’s OK” She nuzzled his neck, kissing lightly at his skin and feeling his muscles loosen slowly. She felt his head meet hers, encouraging her to carry on. 

Daryl exhaled loudly, closed his eyes and grappled with his desire to let Mia do as she pleased Vs his desire to freak out and run. Her hands around his waist made the area around them tingle under his shirt and he was finding himself unable to control his heavy breathing. 

He felt his nerve endings prickle and pushed himself into the kitchen counter in an attempt to stop his growing erection, her gentle seduction unravelling him and driving him crazy.

Mia heard him exhale in pleasure and smiled against his neck, her kisses turning to light nibbles, encouraged by his reaction. He moved toward the counter and steadied himself with his hands on the countertop as the coffee machine clicked and beeped. Her hand crept under his shirt, feeling the line of his belt, he flinched as her hand touched his skin.

“Turn around” She breathed into his ear.

She waited patiently as he slowly turned to face her, her hand slid around his waist as she moved and now tickled up his back as she pressed her body to his, pushing aside the front lapels of his vest with her other hand. She could feel large, risen scars on his back. Pretending they weren’t there, she caressed his skin, enjoying the sensation of being so close to him. 

Daryl was immediately aware of her body on his, her breasts against his chest, her lips now connecting with his collarbone. Unsure of what to do with his own hands, they hung at his sides. His mind was screaming at him to touch her, to allow himself some semblance of pleasure. 

Mia kissed along his collarbone, then back to his neck before finally reaching his face. She paused and pulled back slightly, looking up at his face and listening to his laboured breathing. 

“You OK?” She asked, stroking his rough cheek. 

“Ya make me nervous” His words were almost inaudible, but Mia understood.  
“You make me nervous too. Believe it or not” She said, pulling his face to hers and kissing him. She slipped her tongue in his mouth and felt him relax in her grasp. 

Daryl finally moved his hands, choosing to place one on the side of her face, so he could feel her jawline, her hair and run his thumb over the freckles on her face which he liked so much. He placed his other hand on her back, which Mia soon grabbed and moved lower, to her ass, pushing him to be bolder with her. 

Daryl’s heart raced when she stopped kissing him and leaned up to his ear.  
“I want you, Dixon” She hummed. “I know you want me as badly as I want you. But I know that you’re going to stop me if I go much further, aren’t you?”  
Daryl shrugged, removing his hand from her face but making sure the other one stayed put for as long as possible.  
“Mia, I don’t want ya t’think I’m lyin’, but I really gotta go. I don't wanna, but Rick’s waitin’ for me”. He said, feeling a wave of disappointment at the thought of leaving her.

Mia nodded and gave him a knowing smile.  
“I can feel how hard you are” She whispered as she slid a hand down his front, stopping just below his belt and sparing him the stressful ordeal of having her feel him up so explicitly and so soon. “So, I’m going to hazard a guess and say that you want me too…when you’re ready, you just let me know” 

He swallowed hard and looked into her eyes. Mia broke away from him and reached behind him to remove a coffee mug from the cupboard. His body lurched and relaxed and he adjusted his clothing. 

“Can I see ya when I get back?” He asked. 

Mia tried to hide the mixture of surprise and joy at this question. “Yeah, of course” She said casually. “I’ll see you out”. They both wandered to the door and Mia pulled it open. Glancing outside, she could see Rick down the street, loading an RV with supplies. He looked up, seeing her in the doorway and started towards her. 

Daryl chewed his bottom lip as he stared at Mia. Marvelling at her beauty and already looking forward to the next time he could see her. He saw her looking at something down the street, but before he could peer around the door and see for himself, she grabbed his collar and pulled him into a rough kiss. He let a hand smooth down her back and over her ass, in the same place as before. She broke away and glared at him. 

“Don’t die out there, OK? You and I are unfinished business” She said.  
“OK” He answered. His breath catching in his throat when he saw Rick walking up the steps to the porch. 

“You ready?” He said to Daryl, a smirk emerging on his face. Daryl nodded and Mia noticed the tops of his ears burning red. He put his head down and stormed down the steps, making his way to his bike. Mia watched him as he stormed across the street. 

“Sorry If I kept him from you” She said to Rick “He’s real shy but kinda hard to put down”

Rick let out a small laugh. “That’s OK. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. After Deanna.”

Mia sniffed loudly and tilted her head, as if thinking hard about her answer. 

“I can’t look for her anymore, y’know? If she was alive, she’d have come back by now. She was a good person, she was good to me.” She said sadly. “My own mother could have done with some of her backbone”. 

Rick placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. 

“I’ll see you when we get back.”

She smiled gratefully. When he turned to make his departure. Mia closed the door behind him. 

 

Rick approached Daryl, who was sorting out his bike, ready to leave. With his helmet in his hands, he looked up and shook his head as his friend and leader stopped in front of him, with an amused look on his face.

“So…” Rick started  
“Don’t.” Daryl interrupted. Rick laughed, held his hands up innocently and scanned the street. A few seconds passed before he tried again.  
“So, Mia, huh?” He rested a hand on his holstered gun on his hip.  
Daryl glared at him. “S’none of ya business”  
“Oh, I know, but I’m asking you anyway. What’s goin’ on?” He slapped Daryl’s arm playfully and was greeted with a smirk.  
“We got close on runs I guess.” Daryl said, pulling on a glove.  
Rick shifted his stance and leaned towards Daryl  
“She’s an attractive girl. Strong willed, can look out for herself. Obviously likes you from what I saw.”  
Daryl glanced up from fastening his other glove and caught ricks eye. “Yeah, guess so”.

Rick sighed in frustration. “You’re allowed to be happy, man. Enjoy it. You’ve earned it” He slapped him on the back and walked off to the RV. “Meet you at the gate” He called over his shoulder. 

  


When no one had returned for hours, Mia began to feel anxious. Daryl had said they’d be gone for a few hours, but night was falling and she knew something wasn’t right. In her living room, she paced back and forth on the carpet, creating a track in the pile that she followed around and around, nibbling on her nails. 

“Something’s wrong” She said to herself. “Something’s wrong”. 

She stopped every now and then to glance out of the window, down at the main gate, willing it to open and reveal Daryl on his bike. When she’d looked for the hundredth time, she huffed loudly and stomped out into the hall. Looking at her leather jacket on the hook, which not only contained her keys to the truck, but also the map that Daryl had given her of the route to Hilltop. 

She grabbed the jacket, flung it over her shoulders and left the house. On the way to the gate she stopped at the armoury and checked out a pistol. She lit a cigarette as her truck rolled out of the gate, blowing smoke out of her nose and filling the cab. 

 

Mia crouched in the trees, her heart beating so loudly in her chest she was almost sure the crowd of men in the clearing in front of her could hear it. Rage coursed through her body as she watched the remaining survivors of Ricks group cry and draw their arms around themselves as they looked upon the remains of Glenn and Abraham, who had been bludgeoned to death. She hadn’t seen the murders herself, arriving just afterwards. Now, rooted to the spot, feeling helpless and angry, she knew she couldn’t intervene. She was not only out numbered but outgunned and there was a very real chance this tall stranger with the barbed wire baseball bat would bash her brains in if she made a move. She observed her surroundings in a desperate attempt to create some kind of diversion, to try and get them out of there, but came up with nothing. At the end of the kneeling group of victims, she could see Daryl, huddled under a blanket, bleeding and with tears running down his face. Her jaw pulled tight and her eyes watered at the sight of him. 

No, she told herself, don’t break down now. You have to find a way to help. She watched on, seeing some of the men pick Daryl up and bundle him into a truck. She almost stood and screamed out when she remembered where she was. She watched them carefully, trying to retain every last piece of information that might come in helpful. As the trucks started to move off through the clearing, she got to her feet and sprinted back to her vehicle. 

She hit the accelerator and raced towards the fading headlights in the distance, determined to catch up with the convoy that was carrying Daryl away from her. Unsure of exactly what she was going to do when she caught up, she leaned over the steering wheel, urging the truck to move faster. A noise from beside her caught her attention, her gun had fallen off the passenger seat into the footwell. Wanting to keep it close, she leaned down, taking her eyes off the road momentarily as she grappled in the dark for the gun. Finding it, she sat up again and squinted into the darkness ahead, unable to see the convoy anymore. 

She hit the breaks when a large truck appeared in front of her. Its lights switched off and a line of armed men stood in front of it. 

“Out of the truck!” one of them yelled, throwing open her door. Her heart hammered again, her breathing became rapid and sweat beaded on her forehead. 

“Shit” She spat as she hopped out of the truck. Her pistol shoved in the back of her belt. 

Two of the men approached her, one grabbing her arms and crudely tying a cable tie around her wrists, while the other removed her gun and knife. 

“What were you doing following us?” Someone else asked from the group. A tall man with a moustache stepped forward. Mia thought on her feet. 

“I wanted your guns. I didn’t realise how many of you assholes there are. Give me my piece back and I’ll go, OK?” She said, crossing her fingers that they would believe her. 

“Move her in front of the lights.” Moustache said to the others. Mia was roughly shoved in front of her trucks headlights. She squinted as the light sent pain shooting through her retinas. 

“Damn. Negan’s going to want to see this one. Put her in the truck.” He snapped. She was shoved forward as someone unlocked a latch from the nearest truck. 

“Not that one, dipshit. We already got one in there. Use the next one!” he yelled. The latch was fastened again before she was frogmarched down the convoy to another truck and thrown into the back. The doors slammed and she lay on her side, a tear of frustration escaping her eye as she lay in the dark and listened to the sound of jeering men and engines roaring. 

 

When the convoy came to a stop, Mia figured it must be almost sunrise, pink light beamed through the gap in the trucks back door. She could hear Walkers, but also a lot of humans moving around outside. One voice a cut above the rest. 

“Dwight, take Daryl here to the block and see if a little alone time softens him up a bit, will ya?” 

Daryl. Footsteps all around her. Shuffling. A grunt as someone walked past. Daryl. She had to get to Daryl. 

The door to the truck creaked open and moustache dragged her out by her cable tied hands. 

“Boss, we found this one following us on the way back. Thought you might like her as a bonus prize.” 

He said, shoving her forwards. Mia stared at the floor and saw two, large black boots stop in front of her. As she slowly looked up, she realised she was staring into the face of the man that had killed Abraham and Glenn. Clad in a black leather jacket and red scarf. She held her breath as his intense, bearded face looked down into hers. 

“Well…smack my ass n’ call me Judy! You are fuckin’ beautiful” He proclaimed. “What did I do to deserve THIS?!” His barbed wire wrapped baseball bat clunked on the tarmac as he spoke. Blood from his recent kills caked through the wire. 

Mia kept her eyes forward, feeling him violating every inch of her with his stare. As he moved slightly to the side, she caught a glimpse of Daryl being shoved through a door in the distance and her stomach lurched. Daryl. Fighting to keep her composure on the outside, she grit her teeth. 

“Why were you following my men, young lady?” He asked. 

“I wanted their guns. I underestimated their numbers. Made a dumb mistake” She said as matter of fact as possible. 

“Hmm” He said, stroking his black and grey beard before leaning down into her face. “You expect me to believe that you were about to hijack a truck load of men and steal their guns, all by yourself?” 

“You’d be wise not to underestimate me” She said, meeting his eyes.

“Well shit!” He cried. “We got ourselves a firecracker here, boys!” She flinched slightly when he swung the bat towards her and leered into her face. 

“You wouldn’t have anything to do with my Daryl now, would you?” He growled. 

Mia hesitated for a moment, forcing a confused look on her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I work alone. I am alone. I have been for over a year now.” 

“Well excuse the shit out of my god damn French, you got some fuckin’ balls on you! Take her to my room, I wanna have a little one on one introduction later on”.

Hands grabbed Mia’s arms and dragged her across the gravel to a door on the side of a large building. Walkers milled around inside a fence that surrounded the front of the structure, they all seemed to be wearing similar clothes, she assumed this was where those who didn’t comply ended up. As she was pulled through hallways, she felt herself staring to crumble. She had really screwed this one up. Getting caught herself never crossed her mind when she went on a vigilante mission to save Daryl. She hadn’t made a plan, hadn’t thought it through and now she was going to pay the price.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A looooonger chapter :) Enjoy!  
> **Some descriptions of graphic violence**

Mia lay on the tacky silk sheets and stared at the cracks in the ceilings. She hardly slept these days, the nights only meant hours of being awake and desperately trying to place herself elsewhere in her mind. Anywhere but where she was. Anywhere Negan wasn't. Anywhere she couldn't feel his harsh touch or smell the whiskey on his breath. Anywhere with Daryl. 

At first, she had felt angry, vengeful, violated, frustrated…impatient. Now, she had learned to bide her time. To plot carefully. To outsmart her captor and make him look as foolish as he had made Daryl look. Now, she felt nothing but the burning desire to follow through with her plan. She was numb to everything except her need to free Daryl from the confines of this special level of hell. 

Negan stirred beside her, sliding a hand over her stomach. She didn’t flinch, now used to him treating her as he wished. She had quickly learned to comply in the first couple of days, learned that the more she did as she was told, the more she made him believe she wanted to be there, the more of an advantage she would have when the time came. 

She had been careful not to let Daryl see her, remaining either in Negan’s room, or with the other wives. If Daryl ever saw her there, the chances of him blowing her cover were high. She had to remain as the lone wolf who attempted to steal the guns of the Saviours that night. Negan could never know of her connection to Daryl, or Alexandria. 

Mia slid out of Negan’s grasp and the silk sheets. Her lace negligee failing to protect her from the morning’s biting cold. She hated wearing it, but he made her. Just as he made her wear short, black dresses and heels like the other girls. She padded across the room to the couch and sat down, lighting a cigarette. 

“Now now, sweetheart. What have I told you about smokin’ in this room?” Negan warned from the bed, laying on his side and glaring at her. 

“Sorry” She mumbled, stubbing the smoke out in a mug on the table in front of her. Negan raised an eye brow at her and watched as she stood and removed her clothing, changing into her short, black, pencil dress. She felt no need to be bashful, he had already seen all of her and insisting on privacy meant he would become suspicious of her motives and willingness to be there. 

“Here” He said, beckoning her with his hand to sit beside him. She rounded the bed, approaching his side and slowly sank down onto the mattress. Negan sat up and took her hand, kissing all the way up her arm. 

“Between you and me” He grinned “You’re my favourite. All those pretty patterns you’ve had branded on you make things all the more…interesting. I might suggest it to the others.” 

Mia felt her stomach churn and tried to push down her disgust, avoiding displaying it on her face. She gave him a big fake smile and kissed him hungrily, her mind screaming at her to stop, but knowing in her gut that it was a necessity. When she broke away, she stood and made for the door. 

“Get Dwight in here, will ya?” He asked. 

 

Daryl curled up in the corner of his pitch-black cell. The only light coming from under the door. He had pushed and pulled on every brick, spent all his energy attempting to kick the door down and had now all but given up. Hungry and cold, he retreated to the corner, laying on the cold concrete. The only warmth coming from an oversized, itchy sweat suit that had been thrown at him by Dwight on the fourth day. The same song echoed through his head on repeat. They were trying to break him and he would not give in. Negan had tried to turn him into one of his foot soldiers, but Daryl refused to comply and as a result remained kept in his dark box and brought out only to work the Walkers in the yard or to perform whatever slave labour Negan demanded. His face was bruised from beatings, his head pounded from dehydration and his mind was being rotted from the sound of the same, upbeat annoying song being piped into his cell over and over again. The only thoughts stopping the icy fingers of insanity from gripping his mind were that of his adoptive family. Of Rick, Carol…and Mia. 

He blamed himself. For Glenn. If he hadn’t have spoken up in Rosita’s defence and wrapping a hard right hook around Negan’s jaw, Glenn would still be alive. Maggie would have a husband and their child would have a father. He reacted in the only way her knew how, with anger, driven by the notion that if no one else was going to stand up to that asshole, then he would. He knew, deep down, that the only reason he refused to comply after being starved, beaten and tortured…was for Glenn. 

Mia had informed Dwight that Negan needed to see him and took the opportunity to sneak down to the cell block with some peanut butter sandwiches while she knew his cell wasn’t being watched. She had enlisted the help of another one of Negan’s unfortunate wives, Sherry, who was Dwight’s real wife. She had connected with her straight away, making a pact to look out for one another. While Mia played look out for Sherry when she needed to converse with Dwight in the stairwell. Sherry looked out for Mia, when she sat outside Daryl’s cell and passed food though the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. 

After turning the music down, Mia sat on the cold floor, her legs tucked underneath her and the plate in front of her. She heard Daryl stir in his cell. The previous two time’s she had sat here, he’d asked who was there and why they were helping him and it had broken her heart to have to remain silent. 

She picked up a sandwich and slid it under the door, watching as it quickly disappeared. Leaning her head against the door, she fought to hold back tears. Knowing what they were doing to him was starting to chip away at her inner strength. She wanted to call out to him, to tell him she was here, to just hold on and she was going to get him out, but she couldn’t risk him knowing that she had been captured too. 

As she slid the second sandwich under the door, he snatched it and before she could even register it, his hand grabbed her thumb, pulling it underneath and pinning her hand to the floor. She fought not to cry out in surprise. She felt his fingers trace a line along the top of hers. 

“Ya female” She heard his muffled voice from behind the door. “Why ya helpin’ me?”

Mia closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. A tear rolled down her cheek. His hand was freezing on top of hers as he applied pressure to it. She opened her eyes and scanned the hallway for anything that might help quell his worry. She snatched her hand from beneath his and clutched it to her chest, the cold feeling of his skin on hers fading. She stood and wandered to Dwight’s room, her bare feet not making a sound. Clicking open the door, she quickly searched for a piece of paper and a pen. Finding a paper wrapper in the bin and a biro, she scribbled a note and crept back to Daryl’s door. Sitting down again, she heard him move, sure he was just the other side of the door. She opened the note in her lap, reading it over and taking a deep breath. She slid it under the door but held on tightly to the other side, so it couldn’t be pulled into the cell. The last thing Daryl needed was to be caught with it. 

_The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. – Leo Tolstoy ___

__Mia felt him place a hand on the paper. It was subtle enough not to be questioned if it was found anywhere and she was confident Daryl would get the message. She quickly removed the paper and stuffed it in her bra._ _

__“Who are you?” She heard him ask again. She sighed and placed her hand flat on the door followed by her forehead, attempting to get as close to him as possible._ _

__Aware that she had been there for too long already, she knocked on the door gently, two knocks. Daryl knocked back as he had done the last two times and her heart jumped._ _

__“Hey!” Sherry appeared at the corner, her voice a quiet whisper “Time’s up, c’mon!”._ _

__Mia nodded and got up, turning the music back up and sprinting towards Sherry. The two women raced up the steps and back to their communal room._ _

__

__Mia sat at the window that overlooked the yard. Daryl was below, being forced to maintain the Sanctuary’s ‘Wall of Walkers’, a huge ‘A’ spray painted on his sweater. His hair was greasy and dirty, obscuring his face. His eyes still black from a beating. Mia sighed loudly at the sight of him, wishing she could run down the stairs and fling her arms around him._ _

__“How’s he holdin’ up?” Sherry asked gently as she sat opposite Mia._ _

__“He looks like shit” she answered bluntly. “I can’t see him like this much longer”_ _

__“You gotta hand it to him, he’s real strong to have lasted this long.” Said Sherry, peering down onto the yard below._ _

__“Wouldn’t expect anything else from him” Mia muttered._ _

__“So, he’s just your friend, huh?” Sherry questioned. Mia glanced at her and Sherry raised an eyebrow.  
“Oh, come on, I wasn’t born yesterday” She pressed. _ _

__Mia had never considered what their relationship would be called, or if it was even called anything. Always being willing to just go with the flow, she hadn’t given any thought to how she would describe what had gone on between them._ _

__“It was early days” She said, looking back out of the window at Daryl._ _

__“Maybe, but you must have it bad for him if you’re putting yourself through all this to get him out. You could have gotten out before now, yet here you are. Still with us, still being used by that psycho and still secretly feeing him through a crack in the door.”_ _

__Sherry was right, Mia had been given ample opportunities to escape due to her ability to pick locks, fight and handle various weapons. But she had chosen to stay, refusing to leave without Daryl. Sherry had warned her about staying too long, promising that after a while, she would become too scared to even try. But Mia was stubborn and determined and was used to getting what she wanted._ _

__“Maybe you’re right.” She mused “I don’t wanna live outside these walls, if he’s not with me.”_ _

__

__Two days later, Negan was out. He’d gone to Alexandria with almost all of his henchmen. Mia had been waiting for this day for what seemed like an eternity. She paced back and forth across the plush rug. Negan’s other wives dotted around the room, sad, forlorn expressions on their pretty faces._ _

__“What do you need me to do?” Sherry asked, placing her hands on Mia’s forearms._ _

__“I just need you to keep an eye out as usual. I don’t want to drag you into any shit. He’ll kill you if he finds out you had anything to do with this” Mia said. “it’s not too late for you, just come with me when I leave. We can take care of you at Alexandria.”_ _

__Sherry’s eyes welled with tears. “Like you said the other day…I don’t wanna live outside these walls if he’s not with me. I can’t leave here without Dwight. But thank you.”  
Mia pulled her into a firm embrace “Thank you” She whispered. _ _

__Sherry sniffed loudly and Mia gave her a wide smile before turning on her heels and making her way to the cell block. Armed with a small roll of tape and a note stuffed into her bra. Sherry followed close behind._ _

__

__Due to Dwight being sent to Alexandria with Negan, a large man with a sweaty forehead, crudely named ‘Fat Joe’ was tasked with looking after the key to Daryl’s Cell. Mia found him wandering around in the back yard to the cell block, where the motorcycles were kept. Where Daryl’s Motorcycle was kept. Knowing she needed to collect four things; Two keys, a gun and a knife, Mia crept out of the back door and pulled a long piece of rebar from a large plastic tub next to her._ _

__Taking a deep breath, and imagining she was going for gold with a javelin, she ran forwards as fast as her legs could carry her and slammed the rebar through the lower part of his back, hearing it exit his body on the other side with a loud, wet sucking sound. She had chosen it's position carefully to ensure it went all the way through, not being blocked by many bones. As soon as she felt the impact and the metal slide through him. She jumped on him and clamped her hand over his mouth, stifling any noises he might make. She caught him as he fell backwards and crumpled underneath as he hit the floor. Adrenaline pumped through her body and perspiration ran down her face and she struggled to adjust herself under his weight. Noticing he was still alive, she heaved with all her might and sat him up._ _

__“I’m so sorry, Joe” She whispered into his ear before crashing her foot down on the rebar behind him, sending the front shooting upwards and no doubt ripping through his internal organs. A sickening crack echoed off the nearby walls and the warm sensation of his blood seeping out over her legs rolled her stomach. She pushed him off of her and rummaged around in his pocket for the keys to Daryl’s cell. She breathed a sigh of relief when her fingers curled around a large plastic key ring. She pulled out the tape and note from her bra and frantically fumbled around with them, clumsily taping the key to the note. There were more keys on the key ring and Mia knew one of them was for Daryl’s bike. She scrabbled to get to her feet and ran to the bike, skidding in the dirt and rapidly matching the keys up to the bike. Once she had found the correct one, she exhaled loudly and realised she had been holding her breath._ _

__“C’mon, Mia. Don't fuck around” She quietly encouraged herself._ _

__Ripping the bike key from the keyring, she taped it next to the cell key, took Joe’s gun and knife, and glanced down at the paper in her hand._ _

___'Go now' _. She kissed the note for luck.__ _ _

____Sherry stood at the end of the hall by Daryl’s cell as Mia opened the door and ran through it like a bat out of hell._ _ _ _

____“Coast is clear, quick!” Sherry hissed. Mia stopped at Daryl’s door and shoved the note underneath before turning to look at Sherry._ _ _ _

____“Get out of here. Go!” Mia whispered._ _ _ _

____Sherry smiled and turned and ran in the opposite direction as Mia ran back to the yard with the bikes._ _ _ _

____Hiding behind the large plastic tub containing the rebar, she saw Daryl creep out of the door and catch sight of Joe on the floor. The large piece of metal violently shoved through his body like a knife through butter. He furrowed his brow at the sheer brutality of how he had been killed and glanced around at his surroundings, keeping his body low. He held out the note and the key and ran to his bike, kick starting it and throwing up a large cloud of dust as he sped out of the yard._ _ _ _

____Mia felt tears running down her cheeks and slapped them away quickly. She’d done it. He was out. He was free. Now she just had to free herself._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____When Negan returned, all hell broke loose. Mia and Sherry sat with the other wives and waited, expecting him to burst through the door at any moment and demanded to know who helped Daryl escape. But he didn’t appear until two days later. Mia tried to keep her composure in that time, pleading ignorance when faced with questions from his men about people’s whereabouts that day. She felt confident that Negan believed Daryl had somehow managed to get out, kill Joe and take his bike without the assistance of anyone else._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____As Negan entered the wives room, the atmosphere changed and Mia could feel the fear emanating from every woman present. She had stashed the gun and knife under a couch for the time being, not intending for it to be there long._ _ _ _

____Negan’s frame filled the doorway, his intimidating stance and intense stare directed at Mia and she was convinced there and then, that he knew something._ _ _ _

____“Well shit! It’s been a hard day. You know what I really need after a hard day?” He started, his voice loud and authoritative. “Some time with one of my loving wives.” He stepped into the room and scanned the terrified faces before him before settling on Mia on the couch._ _ _ _

____“You” He said, glaring down at her. She swallowed hard._ _ _ _

____“Hey, that’s not fair!” Sherry cried from the corner of the room. “She get’s all the fun! Why can’t you take me tonight? I’ll make it worth your while” She said, approaching him and running a finger down his arm. He gave her a sly smile._ _ _ _

____“No need to get jealous, sweetheart. There’s enough to go around.”_ _ _ _

____Sherry pouted at him and Mia wondered what the hell she was doing._ _ _ _

____“Ok then!” He grinned at everyone else before walking out of the room. Sherry caught Mia’s eye on her way out._ _ _ _

____“Go, tonight, good luck!” she mouthed. Mia’s skin prickled on the back of her neck and she shot Sherry a sad but grateful look._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Once the hallways were quiet and darkness lay heavy over the Sanctuary, Mia snuck out of the room and quickly and quietly made her way around the building, and down to the cellblock. So as not to arise any suspicion, she was dressed as she normally would have been, in her short, Black dress and heels. With minimal places to hide her weapons, she had the gun tightly taped to the inside of her thigh and the knife tucked into her panties. She encountered two people on the way to the cell blocks, nodding politely to them both and carrying on her way._ _ _ _

____Once she reached the cell block, she came face to face with one of Negan’s soldiers._ _ _ _

____“What the hell are you doing down here?” He asked._ _ _ _

____Mia bit her lip and looked up at him seductively while drawing her hand up the side of her leg. She watched as his eyes locked onto the bare skin of her thigh before she ripped the knife from her panties and slashed it across his neck in one rapid, fluid motion. She pushed him back and untied his boots, removing them and carrying them under her shoulders as she scurried along the last hallway._ _ _ _

____The door to Dwight’s room was open and she stopped and peered inside. The room was empty. Mia pushed the door open and caught sight of Daryl’s vest on the chair. She snatched it and stuffed it in a bag she’d found under the bed, along with some socks and a packet of cookies._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Her head pounded, her skin was dry, her legs were cut to pieces and her hair was like straw, caked in mud and blood. She had been walking for days. Her only source of warmth of a night came from Daryl’s vest over a smelly denim jacket she had stolen from a dead body in the woods. She had survived by eating plants and berries and had started to hallucinate due to sleep deprivation. But she had to make it. She had to get back to Alexandria. On the fifth day of wandering alone, she had discovered a bottle of water and a candy bar in the glove compartment of an abandoned car and it provided her with enough energy to keep going for another 24 hours._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____The gate was in sight. She stumbled along the road, her feet on fire, bleeding from blisters and her body covered in sweat from the intense sun blaring down on her. He had taken Daryl’s vest off and put it back in the bag, finding it too hot to walk around in._ _ _ _

____“Come on, come on” She cheered herself on. “You're a bad ass. You made it.”_ _ _ _

____Someone on the gate watch yelled and Mia felt herself go dizzy, the world spun and she stumbled backwards._ _ _ _

____“Come on. Don’t be such a pussy, Mia.” She breathed, her lips sore from the lack of water._ _ _ _

____“Mia!”_ _ _ _

____She heard her name but could no longer see where it was coming from. She felt herself falling, crumpling to the ground._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____As she opened her eyes, she was relieved to find she was attached to a drip. Pain coursed through her body and she groaned as she turned onto her side._ _ _ _

____“Woah, take it easy” Rick said, rising from his seat and placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re severely dehydrated and starving.”_ _ _ _

____Mia already knew that but was still thankful to see a familiar face, one that wasn’t Negan or anyone else from that godforsaken hellhole. She tried to sit herself up and Rick dutifully moved her pillows to cushion her back. She rubbed her eyes and swallowed, feeling a fiery pain shooting down her throat._ _ _ _

____“Where have you been, Mia?” Rick asked, sitting back down in his seat. She looked at him and felt sadness creep in. As much as she didn’t want to talk about it, she was going to have to explain everything. Rick and the others needed to know what they were dealing with._ _ _ _

____“I was at The Sanctuary” She said quietly, seeing Rick’s expression change to that of panic._ _ _ _

____“I was captured. The same night Glenn and Abe were killed. I arrived in time to see them take Daryl, I tried to get him back. But I guess I didn’t think it through. They caught me.”_ _ _ _

____Rick hung his head forwards and ran his hands through his hair._ _ _ _

____“My god” He whispered. “Negan had you?”_ _ _ _

____“Yes. He has no idea who I am, where I came from, or that I have any ties to you or this place. He won’t come looking for me here.”_ _ _ _

____“How do you know that?” He questioned._ _ _ _

____“He believes I was on my own and I was trying to steal their shit when they caught me. He’s not given me a reason to think otherwise.”_ _ _ _

____Rick stood and began pacing the room slowly, shaking his head and blinking rapidly. Mia sat quietly, not sure what else she could say._ _ _ _

____“You…walked back here?” He said._ _ _ _

____She nodded. “They would have been able to see and hear a vehicle, so I walked back through the forest.”_ _ _ _

____He stopped pacing and looked down at her, studying her face._ _ _ _

____“I have to ask you a real difficult question and I don’t want you to be offended.”_ _ _ _

____“Fire away” Mia said._ _ _ _

____“How do I know that what you’re telling me is the truth? I mean, we didn’t know you before we came here, we don’t know your back story. How do I know you’re not lying to me? Can you prove it?”_ _ _ _

____She understood. He had a point and she couldn’t deny that placed in his position, she wouldn’t have asked the same thing._ _ _ _

____“Before I answer that…Please will you do something for me?” She pleased. Rick nodded_ _ _ _

____“I need you to go and get Daryl Dixon. He's here, right?” She croaked. Rick stared at her in silence as she sat motionless, looking at the floor. Eventually, he walked to the door._ _ _ _

____“He's here. I’ll be right back.” He said._ _ _ _

____“Rick” Mia called out to him. He glanced over his shoulder._ _ _ _

____“Don’t tell him I’m here until he gets here and if he tries to run to me. Please stop him. No matter what.” She said._ _ _ _

____“OK” He said, leaving the building._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Mia still had her dress on, with her dirty boots and socks. She threw her sheets off and unlaced the boots, kicking them off and peeling off her socks to reveal huge, bloody blisters, a couple of which looked infected. She tutted and swung her legs off the bed. Noticing her bag on the counter of the doctor’s office, on the other side of the room._ _ _ _

____The door opened and Rick appeared, closely followed by Daryl. His eyes widened at the sight of her and he lunged forwards._ _ _ _

____“No” Rick’s arm shot out and held him back. “Give her some space.”_ _ _ _

____Mia’s heart all but snapped in half when she saw his face and she allowed herself to feel for the first time since before she had been captured. Tears rolled down her face and Through her blurry vision, she saw him slump back against the wall, running his hands through his hair. She sniffed and the floodgates opened, loud sobs began to erupt from her chest and she gripped the edge of the mattress as she fought to catch her breath. She wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand and looked sadly at Daryl._ _ _ _

____“Fuck” She spat, hanging her head._ _ _ _

____Daryl attempted to get at her again, only to have Rick stand in front of him. Mia held her hand up, in a ‘stop’ motion to Daryl and took a deep breath and attempted to compose herself, swallowing hard and blinking tears away._ _ _ _

____“OK, I’m OK.” She said._ _ _ _

____Rick stepped forwards. “Now, answer my question”_ _ _ _

____Mia looked up into his eyes. “You want to know how you can trust me, and that everything I’ve told you isn’t lies, bullshit to give Negan the upper hand.” She saw Daryl lift his head at the mention of Negan’s name, confusion flickered across his face._ _ _ _

____“You say that because I wasn’t part of your group from the start, and you can’t be sure where I was before I came here, you need to ask me to prove I am telling the truth. I get that, Rick. I understand. I would do the same.”_ _ _ _

____Daryl stood up straight and stepped towards her, Rick’s hand lifted slightly, to remind him to stay put. Both men were glaring at her._ _ _ _

____“I can prove it.” She said, sniffing and fighting back more tears._ _ _ _

____“I’m the reason Daryl is here. I let him out” She said quietly, slowly moving her gaze from rick to Daryl, who was frozen to the spot, his chest rising and falling rapidly and his mouth hung open. Rick looked from Daryl to Mia, frantically trying to connect the dots._ _ _ _

____“It was you” Daryl breathed. “It was you”_ _ _ _

____Mia nodded, salty tears streaming from her eyes, into her lap. She wanted to touch him, to hold him, but she knew she had to explain as much as she could now to get it all out and enable herself to heal. She looked at Daryl and as difficult as it was, kept her focus on him as she spoke._ _ _ _

____“I knew something was wrong. You guys had been hours and I just couldn't settle. So I went out looking for you. I was too late. I couldn’t stop him from killing Glenn and Abraham. I got there just as they were taking you away. I couldn’t let them take you. So, I got in the truck and went after them. I didn’t think it through, I…”_ _ _ _

____She paused to catch her breath and wipe more tears away. Her chest was now convulsing with emotion as she struggled to hold it together._ _ _ _

____“…I got caught. Told them I was trying to hijack their convoy and take their guns. They took me to Negan. He kept me in a different part of The Sanctuary to you. I killed Joe and taped the keys to a note and slid it under your door. Negan, he made me…I had to, I-I mean I was… I did it so I could break you out of there.”_ _ _ _

____“Did what?” Rick interrupted. Mia took another deep breath._ _ _ _

____“I uh had to…I became one of his wives. I had to make him believe I wanted to be there. I complied, did as I was told, pretended I’d made the better choice.”_ _ _ _

____She saw Daryl’s face fall as he stumbled back into the wall. Rick placed his hand on his shoulder. Daryl covered his face with his hands momentarily before lashing out and slamming his fist down into the wall beside him._ _ _ _

____“Fuckin’ asshole!” He yelled. Mia noticed he was now crying too. "He put his fuckin' hands on you!" Rick gripped his shoulder harder to stop him from doing anything else._ _ _ _

____“Daryl, stop” She pleaded. “Please stop” He looked up at her breathlessly._ _ _ _

____“It was me who passed you food under the door. I visited as much as I could. I held my hand against that door and imagined you doing the same on the other side. I wanted to tell you it was me so much, Daryl. I even watched you get on your bike and leave. I was right behind you. But I just couldn’t risk them knowing I had any links to you and this place. I had made a plan to get you out and it was the hardest thing in the world to stick to it. I watched you, in the yard with the Walkers. I watched you and I wanted to run to you. You have no idea.”_ _ _ _

____“It was you” He repeated, his eyes locked with hers and his face now soaked with tears. "Shit"_ _ _ _

____She felt like she was being torn apart from inside, she had supressed so many emotions since arriving at The Sanctuary that now she was feeling everything profoundly. Needing to look away from Daryl’s devastated face, she turned to Rick._ _ _ _

____“Rick, I have valuable information about that place that I promise I will share with you in great detail. In order to break Daryl out, I had to bide my time. I gained Negan’s trust and one of the other women helped me out. I had to kill two of his men to get both of us out of there. So, he’s already super pissed off. They will be coming here to find Daryl, so you have to keep him hidden. I also have to stay under the radar. Right now, I am your secret weapon against him and you need to make the most of that. Once I’ve had some time to get my shit together and stop fucking crying, I can draw you a detailed diagram of the building and show you what is where. I know about their firepower, their vehicles, all of their communication techniques and even what brand of locks are on the doors. I know about Negan, I know what makes him tick and I know what makes him mad. Now, do you believe me?”_ _ _ _

____Rick blinked rapidly as if trying to take in all the information she had just given him. “Uh, Yes. Yeah, of course.”_ _ _ _

____“Why didn’t ya just leave? Ya should have left me there” Daryl suddenly snapped._ _ _ _

____“I could have. I could have picked any lock in that place and got out. But there was not a chance in hell I was going to leave you there.”_ _ _ _

____“Why?!” He cried._ _ _ _

____“Because you would have done the same for me.” She said quietly._ _ _ _

____Rick stepped forwards and looked down at Mia. His voice was quiet and concerned._ _ _ _

____“You need to rest up. If there’s any signs of Negan showing up, someone at the gate will signal and you are to go to the sewer grate on the far side of town, climb down and stay there with Daryl. I’ll come by in a few hours and we can talk about what you know.”_ _ _ _

____Mia half smiled. “Sure.”_ _ _ _

____“Here” he said, offering his hand. “I’ll take you to your house, but you’ll have to take the drip with you.”_ _ _ _

____“Ill do it. I’ll take her.” Daryl piped up from behind him. Rick glanced over his shoulder before looking back at Mia._ _ _ _

____“He OK to come near you now?” He asked._ _ _ _

____Mia looked round him to see Daryl wipe his nose with the sleeve of his jacket._ _ _ _

____“Hey” She said. Daryl looked up at her and she held out her hand. He sprang forwards and clamped his hand over hers. Rick stepped aside and smiled gratefully at Mia.  
“Thank you” he mouthed before leaving the room. _ _ _ _

____Daryl’s eyes were still wet as he looked up and down and all around before dipping his head and wrapping his arms around her, feeling her thin frame in his embrace. She had lost weight not only through being alone in the forest for so long with no food, but also through being with Negan, which had almost erased her appetite completely. Mia pulled him closer to her, turning her head slightly so she could plant a firm kiss on the side of his face._ _ _ _

____In Mia’s bedroom, Daryl sat on the bed while she showered. He had protested when she removed her drip, but there was no arguing with a woman that had endured what she had in order to free him from his prison. He looked around her room, her bag thrown on the bed, more posters filled the walls, an overflowing bookshelf stood in the corner, piles of CDs on the dresser along with six black eyeliner pencils. His eyes became fixed on the wall and his skin prickled when he saw what was written above her dresser. In black pen, she had scrawled a quote;_ _ _ _

_____The two most powerful warriors are patience and time’ – Leo Tolstoy._ _ _ _ _

______Daryl froze, his mind flashing back to when the note had been passed under the door. He thought of the feminine fingers that emerged under the wood, the words hurriedly written on the crumpled paper, words that gave him hope. Words that gave him the strength to last another day, and then another, and then another._ _ _ _ _ _


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've been away for a few days.  
> Here's an emotionally and sexually charged update with an awkward and vulnerable Daryl! It's shorter but I wanted to get something posted after so long.

Mia opened the bathroom door and saw Daryl, now stood staring, wide eyed at the wall. She smiled and sighed as she wandered past him, her hair dripping down her back and her bare legs. She had dressed in a tank top and satin shorts.  
Her legs were covered in scrapes, bruises and scratches from being out in the forest. Her feet stung like hell and her head pounded from dehydration. 

“I hope it helped” She said, motioning to the quote on the wall. He shifted to face her.  
“It did.” He said. “Ya got no idea” 

She lay back on her bed, feeling the burning pain of the blisters on her feet and the aching in her bones. 

“You should have left me there” Daryl muttered. Mia’s heart sank. 

“You’re mad at me” She observed, pulling strands of hair over her shoulder and twisting them around her fingers. 

“I didn’t deserve…” She heard him start, but the end of the sentence was a mumbled mess and she could only hazard a guess at what he’d said. 

“Did you just say you didn’t deserve to be let out?!” She asked. 

“Yeah!” He spun around, anger flashed across his face and Mia’s heart jumped. “Ya had to interfere, didn’t ya? Ya should have kept yourself safe! Do you even know what happened at the clearing that night when they took me? Huh?!” He yelled. Despite feeling a flash of shock and sadness, Mia didn’t flinch. She kept her eyes trained on his and sat up on the bed. Her body was bolt upright. 

“Yes, Daryl, I know what happened. I lived there long enough to have heard the story” She explained calmly. 

“Then you know! It was my fault! Glenn is dead because of me!” He cried, pacing back and forth in front of her. She sighed loudly and felt irritation creep into her mind. 

“No. Glenn is dead because of Negan. Do you really think staying in that hell hole is what Glenn would have wanted for you? Do you really think his wife would want that too? I watched you Daryl, I watched you every day in that fuckin’ yard. I heard you when Negan asked who you were. You said ‘Daryl’. You didn’t say that because you wanted to be punished, you said it because you refused to bow. You refused to give him what he wanted. You know why? Because you’re NOT Negan. We are not them, Daryl, we don’t work that way. Glenn would have been proud of you, I know I am. You can beat yourself up and feel sorry for yourself all the live long day but you DON’T belong there.” 

She got to her feet, pain seared through her heels and shot down her back like lighting. She slowly and quietly stepped to the window, gently pulling back the drapes and looking down onto the street below. 

Daryl watched her through his hair, over his shoulder. A spiked ball of mixed emotions churned around in his stomach. No matter how hard he tried, he could not comprehend why someone would go to such great lengths to save him. Merle had always told him that no one would ever care about him and it was something he had believed ever since. Now he had the group and they had proved Merle wrong in many ways. However, he had never met anyone like Mia, who had placed herself in an unimaginable situation, to make sure she could free him. He knew he was not worthy of such a sacrifice. 

“You belong here, Daryl. With your group. With Rick. With me.” Mia uttered to the street below. 

He swallowed hard. “You let him put his hands on you. You let him violate you! You did that and for what? For me?! I aint nothin’, Mia! I aint worth that and I sure as hell aint good enough for you.”

She turned and stared at him. A heavy, uncomfortable silence fell between them and seemed to go on for an eternity before Mia finally broke it.

“You’re not nothing” She sniffed. Annoyed by the sudden rise in emotion she was feeling as a result of his comments.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the only person who gets to decide if you’re good enough for me, is me. That is not your decision to make. That is mine. You don’t get to take that away from me. Besides, like you said, I ‘let’ him violate me, so that makes me damaged goods anyways, right?” 

She picked up her bag and pulled out Daryl’s angel wing vest. His shoulders dropped and his eyes widened when he realised what it was. She stepped towards him and held it out in front of her, surprised to hear a quick release of breath and see a tear escape his eye and run down his cheek. He angrily swiped it away with the back of his hand.

“You never forgot who you were…I never forgot either.” She said, pushing the vest into his grasp. His hands closed tightly around the leather as his hair obscured his face. 

“Now, if you don’t mind. I need to get some rest before Rick shows up” She snapped. 

“Mia…” Daryl said. 

“No, Daryl. You can see yourself out” She turned away from him and listened to the creaks of the floorboards as he left the room and descended the stairs. She sat on the bed and leaned forwards, placing her head in her hands. 

 

Rick and Mia spent a long time pouring over all the details she had managed to retain in her memory about the Sanctuary and Negan. She drew him a large scale, heavily detailed map of the entire compound complete with how many locks were on each of the main doors, how many armed guards patrolled at what gates, what vehicles they had and where they kept them and the locations of the watchtowers nearby. She colour coded the entire thing and even attempted to mark the route she’d taken home on Rick’s map.  
“Thank you, Mia. I know this has probably been hard for you.” Rick said “But with this information, we can start to build a plan. We have to fight this. We have to fight him.”  
Mia ran her hand over the diagram, the part marked ‘Cellblock’.  
“Yeah, we do. I’m with you, I’ll do everything I can to help” She said, her eyes scanning the diagram, moving from Daryl’s cell, to Negan’s room, to the wives’ room, to the Walker area outside. Acid bubbled in her stomach as she remembered vividly what happened when she was alone with Negan. What she had to endure. She snatched her glass of water from the table and ran to the bathroom.

 

As night crept in. Mia sat on her porch and listened to the cricket’s chirp. She had noticed movement from Daryl’s house a few moments earlier but had chosen not to acknowledge it. Needing instead to block it out and focus on staying relaxed. She took a long drag on her cigarette and watched as the plume of smoke rose up into the night as she exhaled. The wounds on her legs were too painful to be covered in jeans, so she had opted for her long, black skirt instead. Her feet were bare to allow the air to help heal her blisters and her hair fell around her shoulders. She knew Daryl was approaching the porch. She kept her eyes on a small trail of ants wandering along the step next to her.

Daryl sat down beside her, painfully aware that she hadn’t even looked at him. He knew she didn’t want him there, not after what he’d said earlier. He hadn’t meant it the way it sounded, but as usual, he had screwed it up. He placed his folded wings vest across his lap.

He liked the way she smoked, watching her enjoy every moment from the corner of his eye. He also liked the way she smelled once the smoke had cleared. Her strawberry shampoo. She had painted black toenails to match her fingernails. He marvelled at her comfort in being different, in embracing her darkness. But he couldn’t help but wonder if this new darkness in her could be tamed and controlled at all. 

“M’sorry…bout earlier” He mumbled, looking out across the empty street. 

Mia continued to look at the ants. All working as a team to carry a small piece of leaf over their heads towards a hole in the wood. She licked her lips and tapped her cigarette, allowing ash to fall into the small creature’s path. They stopped, before swerving around it.

“It’s fine.” She whispered. 

“Naw, it aint fine” Daryl replied. “I was an ass. I didn’t mean it how it sounded.” 

She nodded slightly and shifted in her seat, leaning her head on the wooden post next to her. No matter how hard she tried to avoid it, as time had gone on, she had begun to feel more and more numb.  
“Look…” Daryl started, pausing to think about the words he was choosing. “I don’t think ya damaged goods or any shit like that. That’s crazy talk. Hell, if anyone’s damaged goods around here, it’s me. What ya did, what ya put yaself through, It’s big. It’s pretty fuckin’ big and ‘thank you’ just don’t seem to be good enough. But it’s all I got. So, thank you. I’ll never really understand why ya did it, but I’m sure as hell never gonna forget it. I’ll uh, leave ya alone now.” He said, standing up. 

“Oh, sit down, asshole.” Mia jested, shooting him a cheeky smile. “One dramatic exit is enough for one day.” She noticed he was still holding his vest. “You not going to put that on?” 

He shrugged and tilted his head, throwing the vest from one hand to another. “Was hopin’ you’d do the honors” He said awkwardly. 

Mia smiled again and got to her feet, gladly accepting Daryl’s hand to help her stand up as the pain in her feet spiked. She took the vest from him and opened it up, holding the arm hole in front of him. 

“Good sir” She said, winking at him. He turned slightly to the side and threaded his arm through the hole, continuing round and doing the same with the other one. Returning to face her, she adjusted it on his shoulders and placed her hands on the leather on his chest. 

“Welcome back” She grinned, noticing his face change. 

Daryl’s heartrate quickened. She had not only given him his freedom, she had also given him back his identity and here she stood in front of him, battered and bruised and still with that glint in her eye, still with her sense of humour intact.  
He put a slightly trembling hand on the side of her face and quickly leaned down, his lips crashing against hers. He heard a small whimper from her which gave him the confidence to carry on. His other hand slipped around her waist, tightening slowly and before long, lifting her from the floor. She broke away from him, her legs dangling in the air and her eyebrow raised in surprise at the out of character, bold gesture. He slowly walked her up the steps, across the porch and to her front door and she was grateful for not having to use her feet. 

As he placed her back on the porch floor, he looked down bashfully.  
“Are you coming in?” Mia said, placing her hand on the door’s handle.  
Daryl nodded, much to her delight. 

 

Inside the house, Mia wandered through to the living room, rambling on about having no drinks to offer because the cupboards and fridge were empty. As she turned around, Daryl was stood inches from her face.  
“Merle always said nobody would care about me but him.” He muttered.  
“Merle was an idiot” Mia replied, tracing over his lips with her index finger before tickling down his neck. She felt his hand on her side, his thumb brushing the underside of her breast as he pulled her closer. 

“M’willin’ to bet that if he could see me now, he’d be real fuckin’ jealous.” 

Mia laughed softly as she kissed him, their smiles mingling together and melting into a passionate, long kiss. Daryl’s hand moved further up as his confidence grew, feeling the shape of her soft breast through her top. With his other hand he grabbed a fistful of her strawberry scented hair. She moaned and it drove him to go further, bit by bit. She moved away from his lips and hungrily kissed down his neck, nipping gently at him and enjoying his sharp intake of breath as her teeth met his skin. He was panting, breathing heavily as his hands began to explore her body, moving over her chest, her stomach and squeezing her behind. He picked her up, her legs wrapping around him as he stepped backwards and lowered himself onto the couch in a sitting position, Mia straddling his lap and noticing his impressive erection, straining at the inside of his jeans. 

She had been waiting for this for so long, the thought of being with him was the only thing that had pulled her through the darkest moments of being at the Sanctuary. It was her aim, her reason to keep going, to place her mind elsewhere when she needed to the most. 

Mia jumped slightly at the pain in her legs, causing Daryl to stop and shoot her a worried look. 

“I’m hurtin’ ya?” He said.  
“No, I’m just not healed yet. It’s not you.” 

He dropped his head, leaning it against her chest and breathing deeply, his hands pushed inside the back of her top, caressing her soft skin. She stroked his hair.

“Daryl…?” She said, gently probing the reason why he may have stopped.  
“I can’t...” He breathed.  
“What’s wrong?” She asked hesitantly, a niggling doubt in her mind that he had stopped because he now saw her as Negan’s leftovers. 

He sat back and briefly looked up at her, avoiding eye contact and chewing on his bottom lip. 

Mia laced her fingers through his and held it to her chest. 

“Tell me.” She pressed. He continued chewing, his gaze flitting around the room, everywhere but on her. Beads of sweat had emerged on his forehead and Mia didn’t know if that was due to the excitement, or what he may or may not be about to say. 

“I aint ever…” He said under his breath. She sat very still, observing his face, willing him to continue talking.  
“Shit” He spat. “I aint ever done this”

Daryl was shocked when Mia heaved a huge sigh of relief and almost panicked when he saw tears in her eyes. That was it, he hadn’t done this before. It wasn’t because he found her disgusting or was judging her. It was because he was worried she would judge him.

“You alright?” He asked. She let out a small laugh and wiped her eyes. 

“Just relieved.” She sniffed. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually a damn crier. I thought it might be because of…Negan. Because of what I did. I don’t want you to see me as…leftovers or something gross like that” She stammered. Daryl’s face dropped and he removed a hand from under her top and gently traced a line down her cheek with the back of his index finger. 

“Don’t. Course it aint that. Ya aint no leftovers. Ya not his, never were. Ya mine.”

A barrage of butterflies filled her stomach and her nerve endings tingled with joy. Did he just say what she thought he did? Did he just assert ownership over her? Mia wasn’t the kind of girl to be ‘owned’ by anyone, but Daryl wasn’t just anyone. Coming from him, the comment had taken on a whole new meaning, a meaning she was good with. 

“Yours?” She whispered, biting her bottom lip.  
“I mean, I aint assuming or nothin'. S'just the way I see ya I guess.” He replied

Mia nodded and grinned. She leaned into him and kissed him gently, slipping her tongue into his mouth and melting into him. He groaned as their tongues danced together and ran his hand along her leg, sending searing pain through her as he smoothed over the cuts and scrapes on her skin. She winced and pulled away. 

“Shit, sorry.” He said, raising his hand and showing her his palm. She drew it to her and kissed his fingers before catching his eye and studying his face for a few moments. 

“Look, it’s not a problem. I can’t do this right now anyway, everything hurts and I need time to heal. I know I’m real forward and blunt, but It doesn’t mean I don’t understand. You just say the word. OK?”

His face flushed a subtle shade of pink. “The word?”

“Well, I don’t exactly mean walk into the pantry and yell ‘sex’ at me across the tinned pasta” She joked and was pleased when she saw him laugh slightly. She leaned close to him, and kissed the side of his face. 

“Sealed deal or not, I’m still your girl.” She whispered into his ear.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More sexual tension!  
> Let me know what you think :) Thanks to everyone for reading <3

Daryl opened his eyes slowly and for a few seconds couldn’t process where he was. The large Motorhead poster on the wall bringing him back to reality as he blinked the sleep from his eyes and rubbed his face with his hand. He was in Mia’s bedroom. 

Movement from next to him grabbed his attention and he glanced to the side to see her sleeping soundly, her hair obscuring her face. He slid quietly into a sitting position and smiled down at her, brushing the hair from her face with the lightest of touches. She had now regained some of the colour in her cheeks and her full lips were returning to the eye catching red tint he had noticed so many times before. His eyes fell over her body, only partially covered by the sheets. She wore a black tank top and her satin shorts, accentuating the curve of her waist and also the bruises on her thighs. He took in all her features, her long, jet black eyelashes, her perfectly shaped eyebrows, her small, slightly pointed nose. 

She stirred again, stretching her arm out and catching his side. Her eyes opened and she smiled sleepily as she ran her hand over his stomach and pulled herself to him, placing her head on his chest and slinking her leg over his under the covers. 

“Mornin” Daryl said, kissing the top of her head. 

“Hey” She breathed as she snuggled into him. 

They lay in the quiet, listening to each other’s breathing., Mia tracing small circles on Daryl’s forearm. Although they had done nothing but fall asleep in an embrace, this was the most connected to him she had ever felt. He had wanted to stay with her, awkwardly mentioning his lack of interest in going back to his place. He had wanted to spend the night with her in his arms and the thought of that filled her with excitement and happiness. 

A loud, urgent knock on the door caused them both to spring up out of bed. Mia ran down the stairs as fast as she could and flung the door open to see a panicked Rick staring back at her.  
“We think Negan’s on his way. Some trucks have been seen about five miles out. You need to get to the sewer grate.” He ordered. His gaze shifting to the left slightly as she observed Daryl wandering down the stairs, buttoning his jeans and yawning. 

“Daryl?” Rick said. 

Daryl stopped on the bottom step and looked up at Mia and Rick, Staring at him. 

“Uh…mornin’” He mumbled. Mia stifled a laugh before turning back to Rick. 

“Believe me, this really isn’t what it looks like.” She whispered. “I’ll get my shit” 

Rick nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Be careful, OK? If you get into trouble or you need to get out of there, there’s an exit, but you have to make sure Negan’s men are far enough away for you to get away without being seen. I need you both.” 

“Sure. Relax, Sherriff. I got this” She winked at him and ran upstairs, calling down to Daryl on her way. 

“Hey lover boy? Meet me at the front door in 2 minutes!”

Rick shot Daryl a half smile. 

“What?” Daryl snapped. 

“You stayed here?” He asked. 

“Yeah…so?” 

“No reason.” Rick smirked. 

Daryl sighed and shrugged his vest on. “God sakes. Stop it” He grumbled, wandering out onto the porch. “Ya hide my bike?” He asked, glancing over to the empty drive. 

“Yeah, Jesus took it until Negan is gone.” Rick replied. 

Daryl studied his worried face. “It’s gonna be alright. It has to be.” 

Rick playfully slapped him on the back and set off down the street towards the gate. 

Mia bounced out of the house, she had dressed in the most comfortable things possible to avoid her wounds being made worse. Thick jeans and sneakers covered the cuts and bruises. She held a large backpack and threw it over her shoulder as she slammed the door and hopped down the steps. 

“I need to get my crossbow” Daryl said, breaking away from her. “Meet ya there”. 

Mia gave him a thumbs up and set off across the grass to the sewer grate. 

Daryl emerged a couple of minutes after she had reached the grate, his crossbow in his hand. He stopped in front of her and noticed she was staring down into the sewer. He touched her hand.  
“We gotta move, Mia.” 

She took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. She was nervous and the only reason she could think of for her unexpected feelings was that Negan was on his way. It will have been the closest she’d been to him since she’d managed to escape. 

Daryl pulled the grate open and climbed down, his boots splashing in the shallow water beneath. Mia could smell the dank sewer before she’d even descended the ladder. She threw her bag down to Daryl and took it slow, being careful not to knock her legs or put too much pressure on her feet. When she had managed four steps down, she felt Daryl secure his hands around her waist. 

“Easy, I got ya. Ya can let go” He said. 

“Not from here, I’m too heavy.” She protested. 

“What ya tryin’ to say? That I’m too weak to carry ya? C’mon, just let go.” 

Mia let go with one hand and leaned on his shoulder, steadying herself as she let go with the other hand and fell into his arms. She caught his eye as he lowered her slowly to the floor, his rough hands slipping under her sweater, along her bare skin until they met the bottom of her bra. 

“I’d have worn something a little easier to remove if I’d known you’d be touching me like that again” She quipped, lightly kissing his nose. 

Daryl exhaled loudly as he tightened his grip on her. “Drive me fuckin crazy, girl.” He breathed as he leaned down and nuzzled into her neck. 

“Can’t say I’ve ever got hot and heavy in a sewer before, but life’s about adventures!” She joked as she felt Daryl laugh into the side of her neck. 

A loud noise from above startled them both and they listened intently to the engine noises above. Trucks and cars rumbled up to the Entrance and Daryl removed his hands from inside her sweater and held her hand tightly in his. The engines were killed and she felt her heartrate start to increase when she heard his voice. 

“Little pig, Little Pig! Let. Me. In” 

The gates were hauled open and Mia felt Daryl squeeze her hand even harder. 

“Ah! The Sherriff! Just the man I wanted to see.” Negan said among the multiple thuds of boots walking around above them. 

“I would like to file a missing person’s report” He continued. “You see, my Daryl went and escaped. Now I don’t know how much hospitality a guy has to show to you people, but you’d think giving them food, clothing and a job would be enough, But apparently not!”

Mia couldn’t hear Rick’s response, if there even was one. He eyes fell to Daryl’s face, who’s jaw was pulled tight with anger. 

“Did you know, he killed one of my men, took his bike back and drove out of there like a bat out of hell?! Now…I don’t suppose he came flying back to this here nest, did he?” 

Again, silence as a response, Mia and Daryl could only imagine that Rick was shaking his head. Mia climbed the bottom two steps in an attempt to see something. Daryl steadied her by placing a hand on her back. 

“Not too far, they’ll see us” He whispered. 

“I’ve not had the best couple weeks, Rick. Not only did I lose Daryl and two of my men. I also lost something else. My diamond in the rough. You see, I have a number of super-hot wives. But this one, she wasn’t just super-hot, she was fuckin’ beautiful. As I’m sure you can imagine, I am pretty pissed off that this one has slipped through the net too.” 

Mia felt her breathing deepen, anxiety clawed at the inside of her skin and she slumped back down to the floor, leaning on the metal ladder behind her.

“She’s got this long, hair, blacker than the night. The best ass I ever did see and a whole lotta interesting tattoos that seem to go on and on forever…if ya catch my drift.”

Mia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling Daryl’s hand on the side of her face. 

“You’d tell me, if you saw my diamond, wouldn’tcha…Sherriff?” Negan growled. 

Mia could just about hear Rick’s voice. 

“I haven’t seen anyone of that description. Nor do I know where Daryl is. I doubt he’d come back here” 

“Fair enough! Half of everything, go!” He yelled. Boots commenced thudding across the gravel as what sounded like an army of Saviours seeped in through the gates and all around Alexandria. 

“Rick here is going to take me to the armoury!” She heard Negan exclaim, as the bottom dropped out of her world. They were taking the guns. Alexandria’s means of defence. She glared at Daryl.

“We need to get out of here and go on a run, bring back some supplies or this place is going to be left with nothing” She said in hushed tones, taking her backpack off and opening it up so he could see inside. “I didn’t know how long we’d be down here, so I brought spare clothes, food and the maps. Rick told me there’s an exit somewhere, I packed in case we had to leave.” 

Daryl glanced inside the pack and then back up at her face. 

“Ya can’t get far on foot with ya wounds not healed.” He said. 

“I have to try Daryl. You heard what he said, they’re taking everything.”

“He said half” 

“He means everything. They’ll take whatever he deems as half.” 

Daryl sighed and thought for a moment, quickly looking at the sky through the sewer grate above. 

“Alright. Let’s find that exit.” He said. 

Mia pulled a notepad from her backpack and a black pen and scrawled a note on it.  
‘Gone to find supplies. We are coming back’  
She rolled it up and climbed the sewer ladder, slipping the paper tube into the grate, just enough so it would hold and not be seen. When she reached the bottom again she noticed Daryl staring at her. 

“What?” She said.  
“Never miss a trick, huh?” He said. 

“You may be the muscle, but I’m the brains of this outfit” she replied. With a serious look on her face, until she saw Daryl give in and laugh. 

 

The sewers thick, pungent smell stung the back of Daryl’s throat as he trudged through the water and debris from the pipes. Mia trotted along behind him, keeping up the pace pretty well for now. He had to hand it to her, she really was putting herself out for everyone else, the thought of them going without causing her a kind of distress that was written all over her face. He knew he was finding it increasingly hard to say no to her, but she was going to have to keep her wits about her on a run without a vehicle and with her legs and feet all cut up. 

“Woah” he said, his hand shooting out beside him to stop her from going any further. Up ahead, was an iron gate, daylight spilling through the bars. On the other side, were around 6 Walkers, all squeezing themselves against the metal, their arms reaching out and their gurgling and moans echoing from the sewers walls. He heard Mia tut in irritation from behind him. She shot past him with her knife held up and began stabbing furiously at their heads and eyes. Daryl joined her, blood and muck flying across the wet floor until they were all expired. 

“Funny isn’t it?” She mused as she wiped her knife. “They used to be terrifying. The thing we all feared most. Now we know the true nature of human beings, they’re nothing more than an annoyance.” She sheathed her knife and hauled the gate open, the Walkers splaying out onto the floor in a rotten and putrid mass. 

“Well, looks like our date in shitsville is over.” She smiled as she watched Daryl climb over the Walkers.

He stopped on the other side “I’ll take ya someplace nicer, next time” He said holding out his hands and motioning for her to use them to lift herself over the bodies.

She jumped and clutched his fingers, heaving herself over the bodies and lading close to him on the other side. 

“Oh yeah? You know how to excite a girl” She grinned. “Somewhere with a bar and jukebox I hope”

Daryl smirked and shook his head, her inability to forget her sense of humour and matter of fact attitude impressing him, once again. “Yeah, sure”

Darkness was beginning to creep in and they had ended up at a cottage they had found purely by chance. Mia had considered it to be quite the find, off the beaten track, miles from anywhere, fenced off and picture postcard pretty. As they stood at the end of the yard in the bushes, they watched and waited for any movement. The only creature being a large deer nibbling on the grass. Daryl passed his crossbow to Mia. 

“What? Me?” She questioned

“Ya never miss a trick, right? So ya aint gonna miss this.” He whispered. 

“Daryl, I can hunt but with rifles, not crossbows.” 

He pushed the weapon into her grasp and moved behind her. Placing his hands on her hips he breathed into her ear. 

“Change your stance, copy me. Now make sure none of ya fingers are in the in the limbs and take your thumb off this or ya gon’ lose it…” He raised a hand and removed her thumb from the Crossbow’s forearm. “...OK, keep the target in your sights, never take ya eyes off it. You’re gonna squeeze that trigger just as ya would a Rifle’s and keep it real steady. You can do this, K?”

Mia nodded and exhaled steadily, lifting the Crossbow and levelling the sight pin so she had a clear shot of the deer. She squeezed the trigger and heard the ‘pop’ of the mechanism release as the bolt soared towards the deer, hitting its head and killing it instantly. It dropped and Mia lowered the weapon, beaming at Daryl, who had maintained his close proximity to her. 

“That’s ma girl” He breathed before leaning in to her and kissing her gently. The rough feel of his stubble tickling her skin. Mia smiled into the kiss and broke away, feeling the unfamiliar bubbling of bashfulness in her stomach. She wracked her brain to figure out why now, of all times, she felt awkward. She could only put it down to him referring to her as ‘his girl’ after having taught her one of the few things she didn’t know how to do. Always a self-sufficient and independent person, it had been a long time since someone had taught her to do anything, least of all someone she had strong feelings for. Her cheeks flushed pink and she bit her lip, looking up at Daryl. 

“Kinda…hot.” He said, breaking eye contact and looking at the floor for a second while he chewed his lip. 

“What is?” Mia asked. 

“You…with ma crossbow.” 

She raised an eyebrow and rolled her eyes as her whole face lit up red.

“First time I ever saw ya embarrassed”

“Yeah, well there’s a first time for everything.” She mumbled. He laughed as he pushed through the bushes into the clearing and started towards the dead deer. 

After clearing two Walkers from the cottage and another from one of the outbuildings, Daryl had found both a well and plenty of wood for the fireplace inside. At the back of the building, was another clearing, full of yellow flowers. Where he found Mia wandering, clutching one of the flowers and slowly plucking its petals off before discarding it. He watched her from a far for as long as he could, willing her not to notice his presence, so he could observe her in her solitude for just a little longer. After a few minutes, he noticed she was singing, weaving in and out of the plants, her fingers tickling over the tops of the leaves as she passed. Her soft, tuneful voice travelling along the air like petals on the wind. She spun around and caught sight of him, falling silent and shielding her eyes from the sunsets beams as she looked over at him. 

He walked into the clearing towards her, seeing her smile as her hand dropped from over her eyes. 

“It’s beautiful here.” She said, rolling a flower petal between her finger and thumb. 

“Yeah. Shame we can’t stay.” He replied. 

Mia dropped to her knees and lay back on the grass followed by Daryl. They both lay and listened to the birds and wind for a while, enjoying the peace and trying to forget the reason why they were even out there in the first place. 

“Daryl” Mia said. “What do you think the age difference between us is? Last birthday I celebrated, I was 29. Kinda forgot my birthdays from then on.”  
“Happy Birthday” he joked glancing to the side at her. It wasn’t even something he had considered before, but she had a good point, there was an age difference. “Maybe 5-8 years. I dunno. Doesn’t even matter anymore.”  
There was a long silence as Mia mulled it over in her mind. He was right, it didn’t matter anymore.

Inside the cottage, Mia stood in front of the fire and peeled her jeans off. Examining her wounds in the dim light of the flames, she was pleased to see some scabs forming and no signs of any infections. A Mirror on the wall to her left aided her in seeing the cuts around the backs of her legs. Daryl watched from the table in the corner of the room, his face shrouded in shadows as he slowly sipped a small bottle of bourbon Mia had found in an upstairs drawer. As she turned in the mirror, she noticed the curves of her body had began to diminish. 

“Skinny ass” She mumbled, sighing deeply, she stepped out of her jeans and flung them onto a nearby chair. 

“Hey” Daryl said quietly from the corner. “Ya look great to me.”

Mia smiled thinly “Thanks”. 

He stood and walked towards her, shrugging his vest off and placing it over her jeans on the chair. Taking her face in both of his hands, he ran his thumbs over her cheeks, staring into her blue eyes. 

“Beautiful” 

She just about heard the word leave his lips and her heart fluttered at the sound. She wondered if he had ever said that to anyone else in his life, but she knew that right now, he meant it. She pulled him closer to her by his waist before smoothing up his big arms and kissing him deeply, slipping her tongue in his mouth and feeling his whole body relax in her hands. For the first time, he was completely at ease with her. One of his hands left her face and began to slowly lift the bottom of her tank top as he broke away from her and moved back to allow himself to see. 

Masses of tattooed, pattered lines twisted and turned across her stomach, around her belly button and down past the line of her underwear. More came from over her hips and intertwined with the others to a symbol that he could only see the top of in the middle. His eyes moved up to hers and his finger linked over the elastic of her panties. He waited for her to signal that it was OK before proceeding. She nodded once and he gently pulled her clothing down to reveal a hand shaped tattoo adorned with symbols and patterns. The sensation of his finger on her skin, so low down, sent sparks to the nerve endings between her legs and she failed to stifle a sharp intake of breath. Daryl looked back up at her. 

“What’s it mean?” He asked. 

“It’s a Hamsa hand. Provides protection against evil”

The corner of his mouth lifted as he removed his hand from her front. 

“Daryl.” She said. “I need to ask you something” 

“Sure” He said. 

“How the hell are you a virgin? I mean, it’s fine, but I don’t understand. You’re a good man, you’re brave, smart, sexy and you care about people more than you’d be willing to admit. I’ve practically been bashing your door down to get into your pants.”

She saw a small huff escape him and realised he was trying not to laugh. 

“I never said I was a virgin.” He said, taking her hand and squeezing it.

“At the time, when ya were there, on top of me and all I could think about was how much I wanted ya. I aint never been with anyone I actually gave a damn about and…”

“And?” Mia said. 

“…And I guess I freaked out. That’s what I meant. I care, that’s what’s new to me. Seems I gave ya the wrong idea too.” 

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I get it now. I’m um…I’m sorry for being presumptuous” 

“S’fine. I been with a couple women before. But I aint ever cared about em. Hell, I didn’t even know their names. I guess I took a leaf outa Merle’s book. I never been a good drunk”

Mia noticed the bottle of bourbon on the table behind him and ducked around him to grab it. She took a large mouthful and winced as the burning liquid ran down her throat. 

“Me neither” She said before walking back to the fire and settling down on the bedding she’d placed over the floor earlier, covering herself with a thick blanket. Preferring not to use the bedroom, they had decided staying on the ground floor would make for better escape routes should they need it. She lay back and looked at the ceiling as Daryl lay next to her. His arm pressed against hers felt like her skin had ignited. 

“Kinda turned me on when your hand was on my tattoo” She blurted out. Closing her eyes as soon as the words left her mouth and cursing herself for yet another shameless and forward comment. A few moments passed and Mia had convinced herself he had chosen not to acknowledge this one.

“Ya should have said.” He replied eventually, shifting his position and turning to face her. Mia stared at the ceiling, he was definitely getting braver with her. She tensed slightly when he slowly pulled the blanket down her body to reveal her stomach. She turned her head to look at him and saw his eyes lock with hers as he lifted her top again. She felt his fingers smooth over the lines of her tattoo as he followed the outline of the Hamsa hand. 

“Like this?” He said, his face moving closer to hers. She nodded, unable to get any words out, her breath catching in her throat. He removed his hand and moved over her, his legs either side of hers as he pushed her top up further. Mia gasped as his tongue met her skin in the middle, below her belly button. Staggered by his sudden nerve, she wondered how someone who seemed so disinterested and cold, so harsh and angry, could be so tender and gentle. She threaded her fingers into his hair as he licked and kissed along the lines of her tattoo until he reached the top of the symbol. Linking his fingers into the top of her panties on either side, he gently tugged and Mia lifted her hips. Stopping just short of revealing everything, he looked up at her. She brushed the hair from his eyes and smiled at him. He continued to taste his way down her skin, over her inked scars and his body tingled when he heard her moan in pleasure. 

She grabbed at his shoulders, clawing, willing him to move up over her again. He took the hint and sat up on his knees, his chest rising and falling as he looked down over her body. She gripped his shirt and pulled him down to her, frantically opening buttons. Daryl flung his shirt over his shoulders and threw it down beside them, his breathing increasing when he felt her hands on his bare chest, feeling as much of him as she could. He lowered himself down to her, kissing her roughly and nibbling on her bottom lip. Her hands found his face and continued to thread into his hair as she realised it was one of the things she liked most about him. 

Daryl struggled to contain himself as he hungrily set to work on the beautiful creature under him. Everything about her sent electricity through his veins and blood to his extremities, making him conscious of the rapidly decreasing space in his jeans. As he attempted to get to more of her bare skin, he lifted her top higher, exposing the bottom of her breasts and yet another tattoo. He sat up slightly to explore the picture before him. Another detailed mandala that fanned out from the middle of her breasts, underneath. He could only liken this experience to opening a long-awaited gift, finding a treat under every layer. He had seen plenty of tattoos on women and even had some of his own. But to see such artwork on the skin of someone like her, all of it for a reason, fascinated him. The more he explored, the more he discovered about her. 

“More ink. Ya full of surprises.” He breathed, stroking a finger over it.  
“Fine line between pleasure and pain” She said. 

“Only interested in one of them things right now” He said, crashing his lips against hers, a low growl from him sending Mia’s mind racing as she dragged her fingers up his back.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Another chapter added! Thanks for reading!

Daryl’s head span and he realised he was dizzy. He had gone a bit too far with the bourbon but he had to admit that his new-found confidence wasn’t a terrible result after all. She entranced him. So beautifully out of place in this world, so vibrant like a butterfly when she opened her wings, yet still just as bright when she closed them. She was like a drug and he was becoming more and more dependent on her.

Mia stopped him. He felt her hand lightly push at his chest as she sat up. His heart sank.

“What was that?” She said, hushing him and pulling her top down. A rustling noise from outside caught her attention.

“Probably just a racoon” He muttered, gently feeling along the outside of her thigh and becoming more aware of the fuzziness in his head. 

“No, it wasn’t an animal.” She stood and pulled her Jeans on, grabbed her knife and a flashlight from her bag and spotted Daryl’s Crossbow in the corner. 

“Mind if I borrow this?” She asked, not waiting for a response as she picked it up and hooked it over her shoulder. Daryl, still kneeled on the floor, smoothed over his face with his hands and sighed loudly before grabbing his shirt. 

“Sure. Hold up though, I’ll come with ya”. 

“It’s cool, I’m a big girl, whatever it is I can handle it.” She winked at him and headed for the door. 

 

The night was now still, crickets chirped in the distance and the sound of bats wings flying overhead distracted Mia for a second. She crept out of the cottage and paused, listening intently for the same noise she’d heard previously. From the corner of her eye, she caught movement in the moonlight and flicked her flashlight on. 

In the yard, were five Walkers, shuffling about in the darkness. Their attention caught by the light. Mia tutted, positioned the flashlight on the fence behind her so she could see them and raised the crossbow. 

“Concentrate. You got this.” She whispered to herself as she took aim. 

“Stance, no thumb on the Bows forearm, get your target in sight”

The nearest Walker drooled almost black, coagulated blood as it staggered towards her. 

“Keep it steady”

She felt her body relax as her mind focused on the task at hand. 

“Trigger like a rifle.”

She squeezed the trigger and watched a bolt cut through the air and embed itself in the Walkers temples. It dropped to the ground with a thud as the others began to lunge towards her. 

“One” She said. 

A tall, male Walker was now the closest to her by a few feet, limping badly due to one of it’s feet being missing. It’s bottom jaw almost fully exposed as it growled and gurgled. She aimed again, exhaling smoothly as she pulled the trigger. This bolt shot into it’s eye and it fell backwards onto another, smaller Walker.

“Two” 

The smaller one was around 20 years old, a female with hardly any skin left on her head, her bare skull glistening in the light of the moon. She reached out in Mia’s direction, a loud hissing noise emanating from her throat and a rancid smell filling the air around her.

“Gross” Mia spat, this time choosing her knife over the crossbow. She leaned it against the porch steps and jumped forwards, ducking as the Walker tried to grab her. She span around and hurled the knife into its skull with a thud. 

“Three”

The fourth Walker was a lot slower and rotund than the others, but the smell from this one was even worse than the last, long flaps of skin from its face swayed as it walked. What once were dungarees, were now bunched up at its huge waist, one of the buckles dragging on the floor and making a ‘ting’ every time it hit a rock or stone. It threw its self at her, managing to grip onto the arm holding her knife. She struggled with it as it drew her arm closer to it’s pungent, rotten mouth. Anger and fear spiked in her veins as she fought with all her might to rip her arm from it’s surprising vice like grip. Winning their terrifying tussle, the Walker began to bring her arm closer still and she frantically kicked and punched at it. 

“I…will…not…be…dinner!” She cried. 

Panic began to set in as she heard the fifth Walker approach her from behind. She pulled harder and harder still to release her arm. Willing her mind to stay calm and think, she took a deep breath and caught sight of her knife, swaying uselessly in her captured hand. She ripped the knife out of her fingers with her other hand and sank it into the fat Walkers skull. The bone was so soft it almost swallowed her entire hand, a loud squishing noise turning her stomach. She jumped over it as it dropped to the floor and twirled around just as Daryl shot the final threat in the head with a bolt. It crashed towards her, knocking her off her feet and landing in her lap as her back hit the grass. Her chest stung as she tried to catch her breath, her heart racing and her hands shaking. She looked over at Daryl’s silhouette standing on the cottages porch and felt the Walkers blood seeping through her jeans. 

“Four” she grinned triumphantly, thrusting her fist in the air “Four out of five, assholes!”. 

 

Daryl reinforced the fence and strung empty cans and bottles along it, ensuring it would alert them if anymore undead visitors were to arrive. As he worked, the image of Mia writhing underneath him flashed through his mind, distracting him and lulling him into a daydream. The feel of her soft, warm skin. The dark lines of her tattoos. The curve of her waist. Her firm, flat stomach and her full red lips. She had done something to him, something that he’d never felt before and it was consuming him, distracting him and while initially it had frustrated and confused him, now it pleased him. It wasn’t so bad to let someone in, to let her in. The way she defended herself with such fearlessness impressed him and he had watched from the porch with a raised eyebrow. Merle would have moved heaven and earth for a night with her. But Daryl knew she was way up in a league above both of them. 

“Hey, daydreamer. You planning on staring at that row of cans all night or are you coming in to get some shut eye?” Mia called from the cottages front porch, swinging the bottle of bourbon back and forth in her hand. 

Daryl hadn’t realised he had stopped and was staring at the fence in front of him, completely immersed in his thoughts. His eyes snapped up, looking into the yard, and he briefly shook his head in an attempt to push himself out of his own mind and back into reality. He was developing a full-blown headache. No more bourbon.

“M’comin” He said over his shoulder. 

Mia settled back down in front of the fire, grabbing the leg of the couch and dragging it across the hardwood floor towards her. She placed some pillows and cushions against it to create a headboard and drew the covers up around her waist. She glanced up when Daryl entered the room and closed the door behind him. He avoided looking at her as he found excuses not to join her, feeling slightly awkward about what had unfolded in the minutes before Mia had ran out on a Walker massacre. He knew he found it difficult to control himself around her, succumbing to his desires a lot easier than he had ever anticipated. He slumped in a wooden chair in the corner of the room and finally, slowly lifted his eyes until she was in his vision. She was absent-mindedly braiding her hair over her shoulder as she looked thoughtfully into the fire. 

“Tell me a story” He heard her say under her breath. 

“Wha?” He shifted in his seat and leaned forwards in an attempt to hear her better. 

“From your past. Tell me a story. And if you don’t come and sit with me I’ll be forced to go over there and install you some corn rows” She said, un-braiding her hair and running her fingers through the black strands. She caught his eye for a second before looking away again. 

He shifted in his seat, thinking for a moment before moving to take a spot next to her. She passed him a pillow. He sat down and he placed it behind his back as he leaned on the sofa behind them. Mia lifted his arm and wriggled against his side, something he still wasn’t quite used to. 

“No one’s ever snuggled with you before, huh?” She said, feeling a calloused thumb journey slowly down her arm from her shoulder. 

“No” He admitted. “Ya want a story from my past? I aint’ got no epic tales or emotional revelations or any o’ that shit.” He huffed.

“I know you’re not Oprah, Daryl, It’s fine.” She giggled.

“K, so Merle had this dealer. This janky lil’ white guy. A tweaker. One day we were over at his house watchin’ TV. Wasn't even noon yet and we were all wasted. Merle was high. We were watchin’ this show and Merle was talkin’ all this dumb stuff ‘bout it. And he wouldn't let up. Merle never could. Turns out it was the tweaker's kids' favourite show. And he never sees his kids, so he felt guilty about it or some shit. So, he punches Merle in the face. So, I started hitting the tweaker, like, hard. As hard as I can. Then he pulls a gun, sticks it right here.” Making a gun shape with his hand, he gently placed his fingers in the centre of her forehead. 

“Then he says, 'I'm gonna kill you, bitch.' So Merle pulls his gun on him. Everyone's yellin’. I'm yellin’. I thought I was dead. Over a dumb cartoon about a talkin dog”. 

He felt Mia move against him and heard a small huff of amusement. “Tell me you kicked his ass”

Daryl smiled. “The tweaker punched me in the gut. I puked. They both started laughin’ and forgot all about it.”

Mia sat up slightly and looked at him with a serious expression. Until she could no longer hold in her laughter, letting it fill the room. 

“Oh damn…I’m sorry” She gasped, relieved to see Daryl laughing too. 

“Now ya finished laughin’ at my misfortune, Ya gonna tell me one?” 

She shuffled down in her spot, turning slightly and placing her head in his lap. He moved her hair from her face and looked down into her icy blue eyes as she spoke. 

“I remember when I saw my first Walker. It was raining real hard that day. It Waltzed straight into the Clubhouse leaving a nice trail of blood on the floor. I was collecting my shit after almost getting arrested the night before. Decided to make a break for it before they found me. I was saying goodbye to Rhymes, who was one of the prospects. He was a scrawny, dusty haired idiot who had a major hard-on for me. That was all good though, he gave me all the weed I needed and I just had to lean over the bar and bat my eyelashes at him from time to time. Anyways, the place was almost empty. This thing walks in wearing a god damn yellow sun dress like it’s off to a Barbeque and locks Rhymes in its sights. It’s growling and gurgling and eating its own hair and shit. He just stands there gawping at it. I swear, I could have fit a bottle of Jack Daniels in his mouth his jaw was so slack.” She heard Daryl giggle from above as she recalled the next part of her story.   
“Now I’ve seen a hell of a lot of Horror movies in my time. This thing had lost an ear and had a hole so deep in its throat I could almost see what it ate for breakfast…I know a fuckin’ zombie when I see one. For some reason, instead of questioning what the hell was going on, I grab the shotgun under the bar and blow its head clean off. Man, did the Red Mist descend. Poor Rhymes is stood there looking like a giant strawberry, shocked as hell and peeing his pants and I’m just thinking…’Who wears a sun dress on a day like this?!’. 

Daryl laughed quietly and watched her as she shook her head and grinned. 

“Not much scares ya, huh?” he asked.

“Some things do but I guess when you’ve seen a lot of horror in real life, you just get used to it.”

“I get that” He mumbled. His headache now starting to subside slightly. 

A silence followed as Mia toyed with the idea of probing him about earlier. The light crackling of the fire providing a relaxing and cosy backdrop to what would no doubt be an awkward conversation. She knew she had to tread carefully, he could go from seemingly comfortable with telling her how hot she was and calling her ‘his girl’, to closed off and quiet in the blink of an eye. She sat up and positioned herself next to him again, their arms touching. 

“So, you got real close to my tattoos earlier.” She stated, playing with her fingernails in her lap. She saw him lift his hand to chew his thumb from the corner of her eye. No response.   
“The way you touched me, felt amazing” She said softly, seeing him nod slightly from beside her. 

“I had a little too much of that” She heard him grumble from beside her, she saw him motion to the bottle of alcohol on the side table.

She turned her head slightly so she could see him better and feeling and unfamiliar nervousness well in her stomach. OK, so he’d had one sip too many and got all confident. It meant his inhibitions were lowered and he found the confidence to do as he pleased. What was wrong with her? Usually the loud, boisterous one, she never felt this way around anyone she liked. She often felt in control and driven to get what she wanted. Now the creeping feeling of anxiety and unease was becoming a regular occurrence. It was him. He was doing this to her. She had not encountered many men as resistant and awkward as Daryl and she had now become so enamoured with him, she cared deeply what he thought of her, unlike she ever had with anyone else. 

“I didn’t mean…” He finally said. “I mean, I wanted to. I’m glad I did.”

Mia smiled down into her lap. 

“Maybe we can pick up where we left off sometime.” She said, stealing a glance at him and being unable to ignore the heavy sexual tension between them that she was sure he could feel too. Daryl nibbled his lip and gave her a nod as he frantically looked around the room for a distraction. 

She slid down in her spot and pulled a pillow under her head. “Wake me in a couple hours and we’ll swap.” She murmured. 

 

In the Morning, after two stints on watch during the night, Mia awoke to an empty room. She dressed in a pair of camouflage pants and a black T-Shirt and braided her hair in the mirror. Sunlight beamed through the gaps in the drapes and highlighted the floating dust particles in the air. The weather had been changing, but the sun still made an appearance every day. She wondered what month it was after having lost track some time ago. September, October maybe.

She stuffed her backpack with her belongings and peered outside into the yard. Daryl was sat on the grass, smoking a cigarette with his crossbow next to him. His legs were drawn up and he rested his elbows on his knees. Mia observed his scruffy hair and strong arms. She was beginning to find his flitting between shrinking violet and Mr. Confident somewhat tiring, never knowing who she would get next. Not one to give up on something she wanted, she would persevere, knowing that one day, he would realise that things didn’t have to be so complicated. 

Daryl extinguished his cigarette and flicked the butt into the treeline when movement from inside caught his attention. He sat motionless and listened intently, hearing intermittent rustling in the bushes. He placed a hand on his crossbow and squinted in an attempted to sharpen his vision when he saw an antler pass between the tree trunks. He silently got up and began creeping into the wooded area surrounding the house in pursuit of the deer. 

As he moved quietly through the trees, he followed the tracks on the ground until he spotted his prize, nibbling on some greenery at the bottom of a tree. He raised his crossbow and slowly moved as close as he could, treading carefully over twigs and sticks so as not to alarm the animal. With his vision and weapon trained on the target, he took one last step forwards, shifting his weight onto his leading leg and hearing a loud thud as the ground beneath him moved suddenly. It was as if he’d stood on the lid of a trash can. He looked down at the ground, seeing nothing but leaves and mud. Lifting his eyes, he saw the deer fleeing into the woods. 

He knelt down and inspected the floor. Nothing looked out of the ordinary but that sound was not normal. He brushed at the dirt with his fingertips, uncovering what appeared to be metal. He gathered a bunch of leaves and twigs in his hand and carried on flitting away at the dirt and debris over the metal, soon exposing a handle. The whole thing was large enough to fit a human through but Daryl was smarter than to start opening strange hatches in the woods by himself. He stood and made his way back to the cottage to wake Mia. 

 

She heard the front door open as she was sat on the kitchen table, munching loudly on a granola bar. 

“Mia!” Daryl called out. She sprang from the table and wandered out into the hall. 

“Present” She said. 

“C’mon, I found somethin’ in the woods.” He beckoned with his hand. Mia raced after him, grabbing her backpack and bouncing out of the cottage to follow him into the bushes. 

 

The two of them stood, looking down onto Daryl’s discovery. Mia tilted her head to the side, trying to think of a reason why someone would put this here. 

“It’s a hatch.” Daryl said. “We should open it, see what’s down there.” 

“I’m not sure it’s necessary that we open it. Probably just leads to the sewers or something.” 

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, there aint no sewers here, girl.” He corrected. She rolled her eyes and grabbed hold of the handle, giving it a firm tug. It felt resistant and she screwed up her face as she applied more strength to her task. Daryl moved behind her and gripped the handle beside her hand. She felt his other hand around her waist. 

“Pull, hard as ya can” He ordered. The two of them hauled the handle up as hard as they could and the metal sheet cracked loudly as it lifted from the floor, revealing a hinge on one side of it. They dropped it to the floor with a loud bang and stared into the dark hole in the floor. 

“There’s a ladder” Mia said. 

“After you” Daryl offered. 

“Me?!” Mia exclaimed. “I am not going down there first, you’re the one that wanted to open it and go down there!”

“Thought ya didn’t scare easy?” He smirked. 

“There’s a difference between not scaring easily and being a straight up fool. After you, smartass.” 

Daryl scoffed and looked her up and down before bending down to grab hold of the metal ladder. Mia handed him her flashlight, which he held between his teeth as he climbed down. She maintained that this was a terrible idea, convinced that there was nothing down there of use and venturing into a dark, underground hole in the woods when the world was now so full of threat and danger was just asking for trouble. She peered over the edge as Daryl disappeared and took hold of the ladder, descending slowly. If he was going to walk straight into his death, she was at least going to try to have his back. 

“It’s pretty narrow, can’t see nothin’ other than a concrete floor and walls.” He said, the flashlight still in his mouth, making the sentence difficult to understand. 

“Something about a floor and walls. Gotcha.” Mia quipped. She heard his boots hit the floor as she neared the bottom, noticing that the air had a strong, acrid scent to it. She was even less comforted by the fact that the flashlights beam only seemed to reach so far in the heavy darkness. As she stepped off the ladder she squinted in an attempt to see Daryl. 

“C’mon” He mumbled as he slowly and cautiously moved forward, resting the flashlight on top of his raised crossbow. Mia reached out and grabbed at his clothing, her hands scrabbling about until she found the back of his belt.

“I can’t see shit” She spat. 

They moved along the narrow walkway, feeling like they were trapped in a concrete tomb, the smell becoming stronger and stinging the back of Daryl’s throat. He knew this smell, it was all too familiar now, the smell of rotting human flesh. After a minute of shuffling along, they were stopped by the unmistakeable growling of a Walker somewhere in front of them. Daryl froze and Mia gripped his shoulders from behind and tutted loudly. 

“This was a bad idea. A bad, bad idea.” 

Daryl tapped on the wall loudly with his crossbow. 

“What the hell?” Mia hissed

“Shh” Daryl hushed. The two of them waited for a rush of Walkers but still only heard the one, it’s growling and snarling becoming louder and more urgent. 

“It’s not movin’.” Daryl said “Gotta be caught behind somethin’. Sounds like there’s only one.” He lifted the flashlight and crossbow again and began stepping forwards again. Mia’s hands remained on his broad shoulders and she made a mental note to pay them more attention in future. 

“What the…?” Daryl breathed as he stopped and raised the flashlight.

Hanging from a pipe in the ceiling by a rope around its neck was a large, bloated, male Walker. Its face was a shade of bluish grey as it swung back and forth in an attempt to get to them. The smell in the small space was so overpowering Mia could feel her eyes begin to water. The Walker was wearing blue overalls, which had a note pinned to the front. Daryl snatched the note and shone the flashlight down onto it. 

“’Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit.’ Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swinging mess.”

Mia wrinkled her nose at the sight before her. While witnessing the aftermath of suicide is sad enough, the person coming back as a Walker had a different kind of sadness to it. Plus, Daryl was right, he was a mess. 

“Look at him” Daryl said “Swinging up there like a big Piñata” 

While there was plenty of room for them to move past him and he was unable to grab them due to being so high up, Mia felt it necessary to end his suffering for good. 

“Put him out of his misery.” She said. 

Daryl hesitated before placing the flashlight upright on the floor between them and leaning back on the wall. The dim light illuminating her enough for him to see the pale, slightly freckled skin of her face and the curves of her chest. Even in this light, where he could barely see her, she was captivating to him. 

“It’s a waste of an arrow.” He said “How ‘bout an answer for an arrow?” 

Mia raised an eyebrow, considering what he could possibly want to know. “Sure.” 

He thought for a second, studying her expression and nervously chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Why me? N’ don’t say ‘why wouldn’t I’ Like before, that aint no answer.” 

Put out of place by his sudden questioning nature, she shifted on her feet and debated her choice of words in her mind. She leaned back against the cold concrete wall, the hanging biter next to her thrashing and swaying while emitting gurgles and growls. By now, she had started to grow used to the smell. 

“You want a list, or something?” She replied. Daryl shrugged. 

“I dunno.” 

“You know this is going to involve talking about feelings, right?” She warned, smiling slyly. 

He shrugged again. “S’you doin’ the talkin’”

She eyed him suspiciously, knowing she was about to make him highly uncomfortable. But he did ask, after all. 

“First time I saw you, when I came barging into your interview at Deanna’s place, I took one look at you and thought ‘Well…apocalypse got perks.’ You were standing there all gruff and angry as shit with your crossbow in one hand, a dead Opossum in the other, your greasy hair and your dirty, tanned arms. I liked you from the moment I first saw you scowl at me from across the room.”

Daryl scoffed and looked awkwardly at the floor before slowly raising his gaze back to her. 

’Of course, there’s all the emotional crap too. You’re a bad boy with a good heart. Your smarter and more caring about others than you realise. You’re loyal and you need to protect those that are lucky enough to have earned your trust. You’re also way more sensitive than you would ever care to admit. You feel everything deeply yet you’ve only ever acknowledged your anger, I can see that changing in you and it’s something I admire, the way you change.”

“I aint changed” He interrupted. 

“Yes, you have. You think you haven’t because you don’t feel like you deserve to change for the better. But you have to concentrate on who you are now. Not who you were. There are so many layers to you, you fascinate me.” 

Daryl felt tense and uncomfortable but he had wanted to know and therefore had to deal with the unpleasant nervousness her answer had given him. He was struggling to get used to her complimenting him but suspected it was going to be something he was going to have to master at some point. 

“I mean, you’re wound tighter than a two dollar watch but I can see it fade when you look at me. I love the way you look at me, Daryl. You don’t make me feel like I’ll just ‘do’, like I’ll suffice for now, like I’m in the way or good for a seedy fuck just because I’m here. You don’t look at me like you want to hurt me, like I’m nothing or not worthy of you. You look at me like I’m some kind of rare bird that’s going to fly away as soon as you move. You look at me like I’m beautiful. You make me feel beautiful”

The Walkers noises filled the tiny, cramped and dark space around them as they stood, not speaking, just looking at each other. She saw him inhale deeply, but his body barely moved, his eyes locked with hers. 

“You’re sexy as hell.” Mia purred. “What makes you even sexier, is that you have no idea”

Daryl held her gaze as she glared at him, a slight smile on her lips. After a few moments, he lifted his crossbow and released the bolt into the Walkers head, finally silencing it and allowing the heavy sexually charged atmosphere to envelope them. 

“Hey, you asked” Mia jested, raising her hands and showing him her palms.

“Yeah” He mumbled as he reloaded his crossbow. 

Mia almost felt embarrassed at having opened up so starkly and suddenly. She picked up the flashlight from the floor and directed it just behind the hanging corpse. 

“Hey” She heard Daryl say from her side. “Thanks.” 

She beamed in the darkness, her heart skipping a beat and butterflies flapped in her stomach as she realised he’d just taken not one compliment, but a whole string of them. “Anytime” She answered as she pushed the rotten walker to one side, allowing enough room for her to pass. 

“Daryl, there’s a door back here”.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Little Warning: This chapter contains implied imprisonment, abuse, violence and sexual abuse** Tags updated.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _She shines_  
>  In a world full of ugliness  
> She matters when everything is meaningless
> 
>  
> 
> _Fragile_  
>  She doesn't see her beauty  
> She tries to get away  
> Sometimes  
> It's just that nothing seems worth saving  
> I can't watch her slip away
> 
>  
> 
> _I won't let you fall apart_  
>  __

The large, metal door at the end of the tunnel was locked but it didn’t stop Daryl from kicking at it repeatedly. Behind him, Mia rummaged around in the pants pocket of the hanging Walker, finding a set of keys and turning back to watch as Daryl pummelled the door barbarically. 

“Not moving, huh?” She asked. He looked at her breathlessly, sweat glistening on his chest. He wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist. 

“Hmm…” She mused “You should get all sweaty like that with me.” 

Daryl shot her a look. “Stop it”

Mia rolled her eyes and held out the keys. “Maybe you should try these”

He snatched the keys from her hand and shook his head. “Ya had these the whole time?!”

“Only for the last couple kicks” She said “I just wanted to watch you sweat.” 

He turned the key and shoved the door open before tapping the flashlight loudly against the doors frame and waiting. Hearing nothing, he scanned the wall just inside the door with the beam of light and noticed a light switch. He flicked it and they watched as the strip lights in the room flickered to life. 

 

Mia’s jaw almost hit the floor when she saw what was contained within the room at the end of the tunnel. The room was large, with shelving units reaching from the floor to the ceiling along all of its walls. Around a corner at the end, she could see what appeared to be boxes of military ration packs and shelves full of semi-automatic weapons. The other shelved in the room were packed with tins, packets and bottles, there was food literally everywhere. In the middle, was a large table filled with knives, packets of seeds and a huge box of medications. 

“What was that ya were sayin’ ‘bout this bein a bad idea?” Daryl said smugly as he wandered into the room, running his hands along the tins on the shelves. 

“Fine, I was wrong. I can’t believe this” said Mia, unable to move from the shock. Daryl had reached the far end of the room and almost vanished around a corner. 

“S’another door here.” She heard him say before he pulled it open and took a step back. 

The guttural sound of a Walker crept into Mia’s mind as she saw Daryl raise his Crossbow and fire off a bolt. The noise stopped instantly. She stepped towards him but his hand shot out and he stopped her.

“Naw, ya don’t wanna see this.” 

“C’mon Daryl, there isn’t anything I haven’t seen already at this point” She said, ignoring him and stopping by his side.

As they both peered into the room, Daryl heard Mia gasp. It was a bedroom and the dead Walker inside was barely dressed. The remnants of red lace underwear dangling from its rotting body. Its wrist was attached by an iron cuff to a chain which was fastened to the wall. The Walker was young and Daryl noticed claw marks on the inside of the open door around the lock and handle.

“The fuck is this?” Mia asked “She can’t be any older than fourteen.”

“Looks like she was kept down here. There’s marks on the door there an’ she aint got any fingernails left.” 

Mia felt a wave of nausea wash over her and she gagged at the thought of what may have gone on here. She felt Daryl’s hand on her back as she doubled over, gasping for breath, her stomach clenching. She waited for the sickly feeling to pass, anger welling in her stomach. 

“It was him. That son of a bitch that’s hanging in the tunnel.” She spat. “If I’d known I wouldn’t have asked you to shoot him. Should have left him up there until the rope cut through his fucking neck.” 

She stood upright again and shoved her hand in Daryl’s pocket, taking him by surprise. She rummaged around until she found the set of keys and went into the room. Picking up the Walkers thin, bony arm, she released the lock on the metal cuff and began to wrap her in a dirty, stained bedsheet. The walls of the room had been wallpapered with a bright, floral pattern and there was a dresser in the corner which contained a hair brush, deodorant and a box of contraceptive pills. Mia felt bile rise in her stomach again as she tried to force the feeling away. 

“Help me cover her up” she said to Daryl. 

“She’s dead. It don’t matter anymore” He replied. Mia narrowed her eyes at him. 

“It matters, Daryl.” 

He hesitated before dropping his crossbow and helping her wrap the body. It was covered in cuts and bruises and what looked like cigarette burns. The more he looked at the dead girl’s injuries, the more he understood Mia’s need to treat the body with respect. Before covering her face, Mia noticed she was wearing a necklace. She gently picked it up and ran her thumb over the metal. 

“Her name was Lilly” She whispered. 

“Can take her up to the cottage, give her a burial” He suggested and he saw Mia glance up at him and half smile. Her eyes glistening with tears. 

In the garden of the cottage, Mia and Daryl dug a grave. While it wasn’t a boiling hot day, the sun beat down on them as they worked and Daryl had stripped his vest and was now wearing a thin shirt with the sleeves removed. His arms were streaked with black dirt. Sweat poured down his face and soaked the front of his shirt. Mia wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and brushed the sweat soaked hair from her face. They were both panting, exhausted from the manual labour.

“Should be deep enough now. We’ll lower her down and I’ll go find some branches, make a cross out of ‘em” Daryl said, climbing out of the hole and offering her his hand. She took it and he pulled her up onto the grass. Mia took the girls legs while Daryl held onto her shoulders as they lowered her down from each end, finally letting go and watching her limp body hit the dirt in the bottom of the hole. 

Mia sat on the edge of the grave making a daisy chain, gently stabbing her nail through the daisy stems to make holes to thread more through. Daryl had been gone for around half an hour when he emerged from behind her, carrying a large cross made from branches and wound together with string. He had attempted to smooth the wood down with a knife and Mia felt her heart ache when she noticed he had carved her name into it. 

“Hope it’s okay.” He muttered as he lay it on the floor beside her. She got to her feet and marvelled at the simple yet profound gesture. 

“It’s lovely. I think she’d be grateful.” She said. 

They set to work filling in the grave and Daryl positioned the cross at the end, making sure it wouldn’t fall down in the wind or rain. Mia’s daisy chain was considerably long, so she wound it around the cross before standing back and taking a deep breath. Daryl stood beside her and glanced at her, only to see tears running down her face. Unsure of what to say or do, he linked his fingers in hers by her side and squeezed her hand. Mia felt giant sobs escape her as she doubled over and screamed. The release of emotion necessary to her sanity. Losing his grip on her hand and being completely taken aback by this sudden and grand outburst of emotion from her, Daryl felt a mixture of sadness and anger. Anger for the girl they’d just buried but mainly anger for Mia, who it had affected in a way that he now understood as he watched her cry over the grave. She had been a prisoner more than once in her life. Like him, she had been attacked violently by someone who was supposed to love her, having to fend for herself and she had imprisoned herself all over again at the Sanctuary in order to save him from Negan’s clutches. 

“She was a kid!” She yelled through tears. “She was a fucking kid!”

Daryl got to his knees and wrapped his arms around her as she continued to yell, anger for Lilly and anger for herself being expelled in a series of long screams that echoed all around. She could be drawing more Walkers from miles, but he knew he had to let her have this and he knew he could keep her safe. Before long, she collapsed into his arms, sobbing quietly against his chest, the smell of sweat and cigarettes, the smell of Daryl calming her. 

On the way back to the underground room, Mia stopped in front of the boated corpse hanging from the ceiling. Before Daryl could say anything, she jumped towards it, wrapping her arms around it’s legs and pulling with all her might. In the light from the room beyond, Daryl could see the rope around its neck slowly decapitating the dead man as Mia used all her body weight to force it down. 

“C’mon!” She shouted as she pulled on its legs with all her might. 

“Fucking….asshole!”

An almighty crack shot through the tunnel as the pipe above gave way and the body dropped to the floor with a thud. Daryl stepped back as Mia climbed over it and began dragging it into the room. 

“What are ya doin?” He asked

“I’m going to cut the bastard up. Into tiny little pieces. Them I’m going to burn him, like he’s going to burn in hell!” She raged as she heaved the heavy body into the doorway. Daryl sprang into action and stepped over it, attempting to grab her arms and stop her. She batted him away.

“You have to let me” She said, almost to herself. 

“No, c’mon. Ya aint gotta do this.” He soothed, trying again to take an arm. She let go of the body momentarily to push him away, her hands hitting his chest as he felt himself shoved backwards.

“Either help me or back the fuck off” She took hold of the corpses hand and bent her knees, pulling with all her strength. 

“I’m not letting you do this” He protested, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off her feet. She kicked and cursed at him as he took her to the other side of the room and placed her down in front of him, keeping his hands firmly gripped on her arms as she struggled and fought against him. 

“Let me go you jerk!” 

But he just held on, waiting for her energy to expel, watching as her chest flushed red and her cheeks burned pink. Eventually, she stopped moving, her chest rapidly rising and falling as she glared up at him angrily. The only sound in the room was Mia’s laboured, fast breathing. 

As they stood and stared at one another, Daryl noticed Mia’s mouth fall open slightly and her expression change from anger to that of desperation and hunger. She leapt at him, her mouth crashing against his as she clawed aggressively at his clothes. Daryl felt a jolt of surprise and held his hands up at first, not sure what to do before giving in and threading his fingers into her hair at the back of her head with one hand and biting on her bottom lip. His other hand pawed at her side, tugging her T-shirt up until she pulled away and lifted it over her head, immediately returning to him and shoving his vest and shirt over his shoulders, revealing his broad chest. Saliva and sweat mixed together as Mia kissed and bit at the skin on his neck, working her way down to his chest. Sloppy kissing and heavy breathing sounds filling the space around them. Needing to see her face, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and tilted her head back. She gasped for breath as he looked into her eyes and in them, he saw nothing. 

She had glazed over. Her eyes devoid of any emotions and he realised then why she was doing this. She wanted to feel something. Anything. He let go of her hair and broke away from her. She attempted to follow him but he placed his hand on the side of her face and shook his head. 

“Naw. This aint right. I can’t do this.” He said softly. 

“Please” She begged, tugging on his belt buckle. He removed her hand and bent down to pick up her T-shirt. He held it out to her.

“I know ya hurtin’ and somethin’ inside has kinda snapped. But this aint gon’ make it go away,”

She looked down at her top in his hand and reluctantly took it from him, sliding it over her head and dropping her gaze to the floor. 

“I’m sorry” She muttered. 

“S’ok” He replied. “I get it. At least I think I do.” He shrugged his shirt and vest back on and fastened the buttons on the front. 

She looked up at him, her face tired and once again streaked with tears. 

“I don’t know what’s happened to me.” She sniffed.  
“Ya got some issues from the past. I know ‘cause I have too” He said. Pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lighting one. He handed it to her before lighting his own. She was grateful for the nicotine, feeling slightly light headed as she exhaled after a long drag. 

“Put up a hell of a fight y’know, remind me not to screw with ya when ya angry” He joked, sitting down at the table in the middle of the room and sliding the box of medication towards him. 

“Sorry if I hurt you.” She said. 

“Naw, ya didn’t.” 

Mia paced slowly and quietly around the room for a long while, looking at all the tins and boxes of food, ignoring the dead body in the doorway and trying to calm down.

“We should get back to Alexandria and tell Rick what we’ve found.” She said eventually.

Daryl nodded, his cigarette hanging from his mouth as he held up bottle after bottle of pills and studied the labels before clenching one in his fist and slapping the box shut. He stood, turning to Mia. 

“Ya should try these. Might help” He said, throwing her the bottle. She glanced at the label. 

“Xanax. Thanks, but I can’t.” She said, throwing it back to him.

“What ya mean ya can’t? Ya allergic or somethin’?” He asked. 

“No, I’m just an ex-junkie. Benzo’s are a no no.” 

“Ah” He replied, swiftly placing the bottle back into the box, her willpower and strength to say no had not escaped him.

Mia padded over to the entrance of the bedroom and glanced inside before throwing open a cupboard nearby and rusting around inside. She pulled out a large sack and vanished inside the bedroom. Daryl could hear her tearing about inside, throwing things into the sack, swearing loudly and stripping the bed. Deciding this was probably something she felt she had to do alone, he cracked open a beer from one of the shelves and leaned back on his chair. 

 

By the time Mia had finished crashing about in the bedroom, night had fallen and Daryl had dragged the body of the young girl’s captor to the end of the tunnel, out of sight. He ignited the small cooking stove, relieved to still find some gas left.

When Mia emerged from the bedroom, her hair wild and her clothes covered in dust. She dropped the now full sack on the floor and turned the corner to see the table. He had set two places complete with two bowls of food and two glasses of red wine. He looked at him in the corner of the room, picking up tins, looking at the labels and placing them back on the shelves. 

“Some good shit down here. Enough to keep us goin’ for a while.” He said. 

“This is…nice.” Mia said, gesturing to the table. 

“Though ya might have worked up an appetite in there. Been to quieter cattle auctions”

She sat down at the table and took a large sip of wine as she watched Daryl settle down opposite her. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been such a psycho today. I hate that you’ve seen me like that. I'm sorry I called you a jerk too. You're not a jerk.”

He picked up his wine glass and took a large gulp, swirling it around in his mouth before swallowing and making a disgusted face. Mia was feeling vulnerable and embarrassed about her behaviour. He was right, she did have a lot of anger about the past, but until this day, it had simmered on the surface and been controllable, she could even hone it and use it to her advantage. But this day, this day had tipped her over the edge. 

“It aint nothin’. Like I said I get it. I don’t think any less of ya. N' I can be a jerk. Sometimes.”

She was pleased he’d said that without being asked and smiled broadly at him before picking up her fork and starting to eat. 

“Ya wanna stay here one more night?” He asked “We can head back in the mornin’, go tell Rick and the others what we found”

She nodded. “Not down here though. I can’t sleep in that room.”

 

Back in the cottage Daryl lay beside Mia, in front of the fire. His crossbow was placed on the table next to him. Knowing he was supposed to be on watch, all he could manage to focus on was the seductive curve of Mia’s waist as she lay next to him, facing the fire. Her hair cascading over her shoulders as she tried to sleep. As much as he tried to avert his eyes and focus on something else, his gaze always fell back to her. He shifted closer to her, sliding down and draping his arm over her, his face nuzzled into her neck.  
Mia felt Daryl snuggle up to her and laced her fingers in his, pulling him closer and feeling him rest his head just behind hers, his face buried in her neck. She was sure she’d have continued her mental breakdown if it wasn’t for him keeping her in line. While she was still embarrassed, she now felt like something had been released and she had Daryl to thank for keeping her safe. 

“Thank you.” She whispered.

“For wha?” She heard him mumble against her neck. 

“For keeping me safe today.” 

When he didn’t answer, she assumed he’d gone to sleep and resigned to laying there, enjoying his close proximity to her. 

“I’ll always keep you safe” He finally said.


	21. Chapter 21

Mia was first up, well aware that they’d both fallen asleep for the entire night and no one had been on watch. She stood quietly and picked up Daryl’s crossbow as she approached the window. Wearing nothing but her black T-shirt and panties, she peered out into the yard, relieved to see it was empty and everything was quiet. 

Daryl stirred in front of the now extinguished fire and she glanced back at him. He turned over, still sleeping. She walked to her backpack and pulled out her toothbrush, grabbing a bottle of water that she’d brought up from the underground room. Sitting outside on the porch steps, she enjoyed the early morning quiet as she brushed her teeth and examined the crossbow on the floor next to her. When she was finished, she went back inside, and went to Daryl. She placed a leg either side and straddled him, feeling him wake beneath her as he turned onto his back.  
Daryl opened his eyes to see Mia above him, her long, black hair falling around her shoulders and hanging down either side of their faces. Her eyes were bright this morning, brighter than yesterday and her skin was glowing, like the much-needed rest had allowed her to wake up as herself again. His breath caught in his throat as he admired her beauty. This was definitely the best wakeup call he had ever had.

“Morning sleepy head” She grinned, leaning down and kissing him lightly. He sleepily returned the kiss and brushed one side of her hair back with his hand, giving him a clearer look at her face when she sat back. 

“Freckles” He said, softly passing his thumb over her cheek. He always noticed them and now knew that the sun brought them out and made them more prominent. Her freckles and her eyes were his weaknesses. Among other things. Mia blushed slightly and looked down as Daryl linked a finger under her chin and brought her gaze back to him. She knew he liked her freckles, although she didn’t understand why after she had hated them for so long. 

Daryl placed his other hand on her bare thigh, appreciating the sensation of the soft skin as he ran his fingers up and down, occasionally feeling the bumps of her healing injuries after fleeing the Sanctuary. He could feel himself begin to harden underneath her and hoped she couldn’t feel it from where she was. It didn’t take much for his mind to run wild with thoughts of her anymore and he was beginning to accept that he wouldn’t be able to keep stopping things for much longer. It had taken every ounce of his willpower to stop her the day before in the underground room. Daryl had a history of impulsive decisions that had changed with the more time he spent around Rick and the group. Although he was well aware of the fact that his anger often took precedence over his logical thought. This decision though, the choice to hold out and get to know Mia more, was tough, but he knew it was the right one. Although his feelings were new to him, he was still not able to figure out exactly what they were. But he knew he liked her and as he lay there looking up at her, he really wished she didn’t have that T-shirt on. 

“I want to stay here. With you” Mia whispered as she removed the hair from his eyes with her index finger, leaving the skin on his forehead tingling beneath. 

“Yeah” He said. “Me too. But we can’t. We gotta get back.”

She lowered herself further and lay on top of him, rubbing her nose along the side of his neck, in his hair and locking her fingers with his on top of her thigh. 

“We could keep it a secret.” She uttered “Just take some supplies back and say we found them. We could come back then to collect more. Our very own Vacation cottage where we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, away from the prying eyes of anyone else…and Negan doesn’t even know it exists.” 

Daryl was enjoying her nuzzling into his neck, her small, light kisses sending electricity through him and turning him on even more. While what she was saying sounded perfect to him, he wasn’t about to agree to anything in this position. 

“Ya need to run that by me again when ya not laid on me, half naked and kissin’ my neck”.

Mia giggled and sat up slightly, seeing him smile. 

“You want me to move?” She asked. 

“Naw” He admitted. 

Mia beamed and felt her heart flutter as he loosened his hand from hers and slid it across the small of her back and down to her ass, resting it on one perfectly rounded and barely covered cheek. His other hand reached behind her neck as he pulled her closer to him, his lips gently brushing hers before raising his head slightly and kissing her aggressively. Internally, he was losing a battle, knowing that this kind of move could quite easily get out of control and lead to much more. He groaned in between urgent kisses as he gripped her backside and felt her push her body down onto him, grinding onto his erection through his pants and making him leave her lips as he gasped. Mia bit her lip as she smiled down at him, still moving her hips, pushing, writhing on him and watching him squirm. 

“Shit” He breathed almost inaudibly. His breathlessness like music to her ears. 

“I don’t have to stop, Daryl” She hummed, finding the bottom of his shirt and slipping her hand underneath, feeling across his abdomen and pushing gently on his belt buckle, telling him in no uncertain terms that he should not stop her. 

Daryl’s mind was a blur as he fought to find some kind of rational thought, logic vanishing rapidly under the weight of lust and testosterone. The same phrase spiralling around and around in his mind. ‘I want her and I want her now’. 

Mia sat upright on top of him, his belt buckle still clutched between her waiting fingers. Both of his hands now crept under her black T-shirt, smoothing up her sides and ribs where he slowed to a stop, hesitant to move any further. She raised an eyebrow at him from above, seeing doubt flicker across his face before he sighed and removed his hands, crossing his arms over his eyes and shielding his face.

“Daryl” Mia prodded. She attempted to remove one of his arms to get a look at his face but he refused to move them for a few moments. She waited patiently, swinging one leg over him and laying by his side. 

“M’sorry. Didn’t mean to wind ya up” He grumbled, finally removing his arms and staring at the ceiling. 

“You’ll just have to make it up to me.” She said casually. “Gotta hand it to you, most red-blooded men wouldn’t have stopped that.” 

“I aint most men” He said bluntly. 

“Ya got that right. Forth time you’ve stopped things now…If you’ve changed your mind, you should just tell me.” She said, shocked by her own bold assumptions and not intending to come across as so abrupt.

“Don’t talk shit, girl” He retorted. He got to his feet and stood with his back to her, smoothing over his short beard with his right hand. 

“Y’know, I stopped because I give a damn” He suddenly snapped, spinning around to face her. “I aint just gonna screw ya and we run off into the sunset. It’s more complicated than that.”

Now Mia stood, feeling defensive and annoyed and wearing it etched on her face. 

“I never asked you for a fairy tale” She growled. 

“Yes ya fuckin’ did! What do ya think this is?! Shacked up in this place in the woods, foolin’ around and staring at each other all the live long day! It’s…”

His hands flew up and he wiped them down his face, as if trying to clear away his jumbled thoughts, his efforts in vain. He stared at the floor for a moment before grabbing the bottle of bourbon from the table and launching it across the room, smashing it against the wall and creating a brown, firework pattern on the wallpaper. 

Mia flinched on the impact but was more worried about the noise attracting threats from outside than Daryl presenting any danger to her. She couldn’t say she was honestly used to these angry outbursts, but she was more than capable of handling them.

He remained in the same spot, panting angrily. 

“…It’s not as easy for me as it is for you.” He said between laboured breaths. 

“Tell me why. Try, Daryl. Things get clearer when you talk” Mia asked cautiously. She observed his uncomfortable demeanour, feeling a stab of sadness and guilt for pushing him like this. She wanted to take everything back and revert to the way things were. But they had come this far and he had witnessed her have a breakdown some hours before and he was still there in the morning, still looking at her like she was a rare bird. 

“I care. I care what ya think. I feel all this crazy stuff that I aint felt before. Until I figure it out I aint gonna be that guy…that guy that screws you in some abandoned house for lusts sake. It aint fair. Ya deserve better than that.” 

Mia stared at him from across the room. The more she thought about what he’d said, the more her heart swelled for him. All her life she had been waiting for someone to say something like this to her. She’d waited for someone to say all of the things he’d said to her. To call her beautiful, to tell her she was worth more than just lust. She never would have imagined that a man like Daryl, in this dangerous and depressing world, would be the person most protective and careful of her feelings above everyone else she’d ever met. She now understood. He was refusing her advances because he didn’t think it was fair for her to invest her emotions in someone that hadn’t yet figured out their own. Little did he know, she was already bound to him.

A long silence hung about the room as Mia sat down on the arm of the couch and nibbled on her thumb nail, narrowly glaring at him sat opposite her. Daryl had also sat back in a chair but refused to meet her eye, instead staring at nothing in particular, a puzzled and sad look on his face.

“You know you’ve asked me ‘why you’ more than once?” She started “It’s like you just can’t believe that somebody would feel anything for you. Been listening to your dumbass brother for too long, Daryl.” 

Seeing flicker of agreement on his face and decided it was OK to proceed.

“Remember when I told you that I had it bad for you?” She said. Her voice sounding a lot louder than she initially expected as it cut through the rooms silence.

He nodded. “Won’t ever forget it.” 

“Well, I still do have it bad for you. It isn’t going away. You can reject me, you can yell at me, you can throw shit around and act like an asshole. But it won’t change. You have held me at my rock bottom and you still woke up this morning and looked at me like I’d fly away if you did something wrong. I know you, Dixon and my feelings for you are way past lust, I can assure you. So, unless you literally tell me that you never want to see me again, then here I am and I will wait, but you need to communicate with me. You need to try.”  
His eyes locked with hers as he took in and processed her words. She waited for a few moments before getting up, pulling on her jeans and preparing to leave for Alexandria. 

He paced about in the bunker, stopping to shuffle some random paperwork about in a drawer when his hand hit something hard. He pulled out a large hardback scrapbook and flicked through the pages. Newspaper and magazine clippings decorated the pages, along with crude biro drawings of spaceships and aliens. A short huff escaped him as he realised what this place was. Whoever made it was convinced that some life form from another planet was on its way to colonize the earth. Well, he thought, they could fuckin’ have it.  
Daryl had made sure the hatch to the bunker was covered over and no one could possibly know it was there. He had worked quietly with Mia to remove the fat Walker from the bottom of the ladder, dragging it out and dumping it in a field adjacent to the property where they had left all the other bodies. 

Mia had secured the cottage and fence, intending to return and claim the place as her own as soon as she could, with or without Daryl. If she was safe from Negan anywhere, it was there. 

 

The walk back was not only hot and sticky, but awkwardly quiet. Mia noticed that Daryl kept glancing sideways at her, thinking she couldn’t see him. Every time she spoke she was met with a grunt or nothing at all and so she decided not to waste her breath, feeling more distant from him than she ever had before. 

Daryl’s head was still muddled and full and he desperately tried to say something to quiet Mia’s obvious anxiety about the whole thing. He wanted to tell her that she was the one thing that made him even remotely happy and that he thought she deserved someone that was able to communicate and understand the way they felt. Someone nothing like him. Every time he tried, the words just weren’t there. 

Their boots crunched on the gravel as they followed the train tracks, the sound almost deafening between them due to the absence of any other noises. Mia hopped up onto the tracks rail and held her arms out for balance as she carefully wobbled along the metal line. Tired of the lack of conversation, she dropped behind him and began to sing loudly to herself, ripping a branch from a bush and leaving a trail of leaves behind her.

“The farther I fall, I’m beside you. As lost as I get, I will find you. The deeper the wound, I’m inside you. Forever and ever I am a part of-"

“-Nine Inch Nails” Daryl suddenly interrupted from in front of her as he stopped and turned to face her. 

She smiled briefly and nodded at him, her expression changing to horror as she saw a Walker emerge from the side of the tracks. Daryl spun around and unholstered his knife, holding it up, ready to strike. 

“NO!” Mia yelled, lunging forwards and running to the Walker only to be stopped by Daryl’s strong arm acting as a barrier. 

“It’s a Walker” He said, baffled by her unusual reaction. 

“It’s…It’s Deanna.” Her voice cracked as she said the name and she watched the deceased woman stagger towards them, her arms outstretched.

Daryl hadn’t recognised her, her eyes were now sunken, circled by dark blue bruises, her flesh had sunken in her face, bringing out sharp cheekbones. Her teeth were back and her clothes ripped. He could feel Mia stiffen next to him, his arm still across her stomach. She pushed him away and charged past him, raising her knife and batting Deanna’s clawing hands away with her other arm. She grabbed her throat and pinned her against a tree trunk, the Walker fighting to pull her closer but Mia was a lot stronger. She stared at the face of the Woman that she once respected. Mia hadn’t found many people in her life that were worthy of such, But Deanna had brought her into her community, gave her shelter, safety, a job and a place to belong. She had allowed her to live as she wished and put up with her constant demands. She wished her own mother had been more like Deanna. Commanding of power, smart, caring, ambitious. 

“You stupid bitch” Mia sniffed. “You should have waited for me. I came to find you.” 

Daryl approached them quietly from behind and placed his hand on Mia’s shoulder. 

“It’s her time to go” He mumbled. 

“I came to find you.” She repeated, the Walker snarling and grabbing desperately at her clothing.

“Mia” Daryl said. 

She raised her knife, hesitating as she looked into the now dangerous creature’s eyes. 

“So long, Boss” She said, quickly thrusting her knife into its eye and withdrawing, letting it drop to the ground in a pile. Mia stood and looked down, taking a deep breath. 

“Ya alright?” Daryl asked. 

Ignoring him, she swiped Deanna’s leg’s up and began to drag her onto the tracks, grunting and heaving as she went. 

“What are ya doin’? Leave her here. She’s dead.”

She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. “Have you learned nothing?” She said and carried on dragging the limp body along the side of the tracks, the gravel rolling underneath and emitting a loud scraping sound. 

“It don’t matter, Mia. She’s gone”

Mia dropped the legs, stood up and closed her eyes before she turned and tried to remain calm. 

“We need to take her back to Alexandria and bury her within her own walls. She has a family, Daryl. Spencer still doesn’t know what happened to his Mother.” 

Daryl’s brow furrowed and he squinted in the sunlight before charging round to stand in front of her. 

“Fuck Spencer!”

“This isn’t about Spencer, Daryl!“ She yelled. “It’s about her!” She pointed to the lifeless body on the floor. “She brought us both into that community. She gave us somewhere to stay, somewhere to belong. She gave us hope!”

“Hope don’t mean nothin’! Sure as hell didn’t mean nothin’ for Glenn, or Abraham, or Beth or anyone else we’ve lost.” He exclaimed, his hand thrashing about in the air as he spoke.

“It has to mean something. It’s what separates us from Negan” Mia said quietly.

“Ya really think we’re any different from him? We’ve killed people! You’ve killed…what twelve people now?!” He continued to shout. 

“If I hadn’t killed the last three you wouldn’t be here. We kill if we have to, to survive. Negan kills because he likes to teach people lessons. He’s a psychopath, there’s a huge difference. There are good people left, Daryl, we are them. We are good people.”

He snorted and glared at her through his hair, something she was noticing he did a lot. 

“If it wasn’t for Deanna and Aaron, we’d have never met and I’d still be out here alone. This isn’t about revenge or getting one up on someone. It’s about her, saying thank you to her and giving her the god damn burial she deserves. Now if you don’t want to help me, kindly step aside and get out of my fucking way”.

Daryl stared at her, studying her cold, angry face and reluctantly admitted to himself that she had a point. They continued to glare at one another before he finally moved. He took off his backpack and pulled out a blanket. Mia stood quietly as he opened it on the floor next to Deanna’s body and rolled her onto it. He caught her eye when he stood. 

“Gonna open her whole skull up, draggin her across the floor like that.” 

She swallowed hard and nodded, leaning down to take the corners of the blanket. Daryl’s hand shot out and grabbed one of her wrists. 

“Naw, I got this.” He said, shrugging his backpack on and picking up the end of the blanket. He turned and passed fabric between his hands before lunging forward, pulling the heavy load along behind him. 

 

They stopped after two hours of Walking. Mia throwing Daryl a candy bar and a bottle of water as they slumped against two trees just off the tracks. They had covered the body with the blanket and some branches to protect it from the sun. 

“She reminded me of my sister” Mia said unexpectedly, looking over at Daryl, who had his mouth full with candy. “The girl from the bunker, Lilly. She looked around the same age. I felt guilty. For leaving her behind.” 

He gave her a nod in acknowledgement, unable to answer with his mouth full. Daryl swallowed. “She’s at peace now. Ya did good by her.” 

“Yeah” Mia answered, picking through the fallen leaves on the floor and finding a landed butterfly. She placed her finger in front of it and watched as it climbed up. Bringing it to her face, she examined its tiny little legs and brightly coloured wings as they twitched. Smiling to herself. 

“Whatcha got there?” Daryl asked. 

“Butterfly.” She replied. He got up and moved to sit next to her, pulling her hand towards him.

“Aint no butterfly. It’s a moth” He said, picking the bug from her finger and shoving it in his mouth. Chewing quickly and seeing Mia startle beside him. Her mouth dropped open like a trap door. 

“Oh, what the hell?!” Mia cried “Are you kidding me?! You did not just eat that!”

“What? Folks in Africa eat bugs all the time.” He said casually, shrugging his shoulders and licking his lips. 

“Daryl, we’re not in Africa, this is Georgia. That’s gross.” She wrinkled her nose at him. 

“Ahh don’t be so damn squeamish. Killed 12 people and ya freakin out over a lil’ bug” he said teasingly. 

“You even know where Africa is?” She joked, stifling a laugh. 

“Why would I need to know where it is? I aint never been out of Georgia and I sure as hell aint planning on walkin’ that far when we got plenty o’bugs right here.”

Mia couldn’t help it, loud, happy laughter exploded out of her and she caught Daryl laughing too but trying to hide it. Her stomach clenched as she chuckled and she leaned forwards to try and catch her breath.

“Well, if you did, at least you wouldn’t starve.” She said, wiping a tear from her eye with her sleeve and rolling her eyes. She shoved him playfully in the side. She got to her feet and stretched her arms above her head, the feeling creeping back into her numbed legs from sitting for so long. She glanced back at him, catching him admiring her again. 

“You hate it when I stare at you.” She stated. 

“I aint starin at ya” He said “I’m checking ya for bugs, make sure ya storin’ me some snacks for later.”

She laughed again and kicked his boot. 

“C’mon, let’s get back. You need a shower.” She said. 

“Speak for yourself” He replied.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo this is a long Chapter.  
> **Smut warning. Explicit**  
> Fluff too :) 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> _She turns me on_  
>  She makes it real  
> I have to to apologize  
> For the way I feel  
> And nothing can stop me now  
> There is nothing to fear  
> And everything that ever was  
> Is inside us here __

Once they had reached the wall to Alexandria. Daryl Instructed Mia to wait with Deanna’s body while he scoped the place out. He crept along the perimeter, his back to the wall until her rounded the front. Peering up to the guard post above the gate, he could just about make out Spencer. He sighed in annoyance and tapped on the metal wall, whistling quickly and loudly. He saw Spencer peer over the top of the wall and squint at him. 

“Negan here?” Daryl hissed. 

“No.” Spencer snapped back, straightening his back and puffing himself up. 

“I got Mia with me, Open the gate.” Daryl said. 

Spencer looked confused. 

“Why would I do that? Why shouldn’t I just leave you two out there?” He argued. 

“’How ‘bout ’cause me and Mia dragged your dead mother’s body for 8 miles so we could bring her back to be buried. Ya want a better reason, asshole?” Daryl snapped, seeing Spencer’s face drop. He took a deep breath before nodding and disappearing from view. Daryl raced back to Mia, who had now wrapped Deanna’s body up completely in the blanket, covering her face. Daryl slid his arms under her legs and back and lifted her up, knowing it would be quicker to get to the gate this way than to drag her any further. 

Spencer’s mouth dropped open when he saw Daryl emerge from the trees with a body wrapped in a blanket in his arms. Mia following closely behind. He had pushed the gate open slightly, enough for them to pass through, before Aaron closed it behind them and placed a hand on Mia’s shoulder. 

“Hey, glad to see you’re OK” He said to her. She put her hand on his and squeezed it gently. 

“I’m kinda hard to get rid of.” She smiled. Looking back at Spencer, she could see he now had tears running down his face. He held out his arms and Daryl passed the body over to him. Spencer looked up solemnly at Mia. 

“Thank you for bringing her back here.” He said. 

“It’s OK. I tried to find her. That night, I went looking for her. But she’d gone.”  
“I know” He said. 

“We didn’t do this for you.” Daryl interrupted. “We did it for her.” 

“I appreciate that” He replied, turning and walking towards the plot at the side of Deanna’s house that they used to bury their dead.

 

Rick gawped at Daryl in the shade of the tree outside Deanna’s place. Mia stood slightly behind him. 

“You found what?” He asked. 

“Some kinda bunker, folks that made it obviously had some kinda crazy alien invasion theory. Place is stacked full of food and supplies. Enough to last a long time here if we ration it.” 

Rick glanced across the road and thought for a moment, running his hand over his beard, his other one on his hip. Looking from him to Mia he shook his head in disbelief. 

“Rick, if we bring it all back here, Negan will just take it. We need to bring back just enough - Just enough to get people by.” Mia said. 

Rick looked at her sadly. “We have to scavenge for him. Its weekly payment for an agreement.”

Mia stared at him. “I thought he might do this.” She said quietly. “Ok, I have an idea. In the bunker, I found seeds, for all sorts of stuff, fruit, vegetables, herbs. Whoever stocked that place had thought of everything. We could grow crops there, Rick. Negan doesn’t know it even exists. The ground around the cottage is ripe for the taking and it’s going to waste just sitting there. We would always have enough for everyone this way. I’ll take care of it. I’d have to, because we can’t let him see me here. Or Daryl for that matter.” 

“She’s right.” Daryl intercepted. “We don’t have to keep scavengin’ this way”. 

“There’s weapons too.” Mia added, Rick’s head snapped round in her direction.

“We know he took everything. But we found you more. We have weapons.” She said. 

“How many?” He asked 

“Not hundreds, few Semi-automatics, couple rifles, shotguns. Probably around…fifteen in total?” She asked Daryl

“Mmhmm” He replied. 

Rick looked down at the floor before glancing between them both.

“OK, we’ll try it. Get some crops planted and some food back here. I don’t like the idea of you both staying out there alone though, he could find you. It’ll start as temporary” 

Mia shook her head “No. He doesn’t know it’s there, he would have found it by now. It’s in the middle of nowhere, almost like it’s incognito.”

“I can take ya there tomorrow” Daryl said. 

“No. You go back tonight, Jesus brought your bike back, it’s hidden though, I’ll bring it to you. Draw me a map and I’ll find you tomorrow. I can’t risk him finding you here. Guys, I don’t know what to say….” Rick trailed off, he placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “…Thank you so much.” 

 

Mia stood in the middle of her now almost empty house. She had wandered upstairs and checked the rooms. The mattresses and couches now missing. Her front door was propped open and Daryl stood on the porch outside. 

“Ya OK?” He asked. 

“It’s like I was robbed by the refugee council” She said, looking around at her empty living room. “At least they didn’t take my clothes”. 

“Hey, go take a shower!” She told him. 

 

She climbed the stairs and pulled out a larger, military grade assault pack she’d stolen from a dead Soldier some months before. She stuffed every pocket with clothes, toiletries and anything else she may have needed to setup home in the cottage. After taking a quick shower, she pulled her hair into a loose bun. She moved around her house collecting her posters from the walls, carefully rolling them up and securing them with hair bands.

When she was finished, Daryl was leaning against her front door frame smoking a cigarette. His hair wet and his arms considerably cleaner than before. Through the open door, Mia could see that Rick had brought his bike and parked it in front of the house across the street. 

She fastened the posters to the top of her pack and slung it over her shoulder, walking towards Daryl. He offered her the rest of his smoke which she gladly accepted as she slammed the door behind her and followed him to his bike. 

 

She hopped on the bike behind him and held onto his waist, propping her head onto his shoulder for a moment. 

“Nothing like having something strong and powerful between your legs.” She joked, giggling to herself. Daryl looked over his shoulder. 

“I was waitin’ for that, ya getting predictable and apparently ya laugh atcha own jokes now” he said. 

“Better get used to it!” She cheered as Daryl started the engine, the machine vibrating under her before they shot down the street towards the gate. 

 

In the cottage, Mia stood awkwardly at the top of the stairs with her pack in her hand. Daryl was pacing around the ground floor, moving furniture around and checking the windows. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at her. 

“What is it?” He asked. 

“Are we...sharing a bedroom?” 

“Do whatever ya want. Probably not going to be sleepin’ at the same time at first anyways. Need to get this place fortified.” 

Mia felt slight disappointment but could hardly say she was surprised. He was right and he wasn’t exactly going to start playing the dutiful house husband. She walked into the master bedroom and threw her pack on the mattress. 

“Shot gun the biggest bed then” She mumbled to herself. 

 

The cottage had a well outside that neither of them had bothered to look in, thinking they would only be staying for one night. Daryl squinted and shined the flashlight down the dark hole, pleased to find it seemingly uncontaminated and without any floating Walkers. He lowered the bucket down and filled it with water, hauling it back up by the rope. He smiled when she saw the water was clear and with the use of the water purifying chemicals in the bunker, they had a supply of water. 

Mia was on the front steps of the cottage, watching Daryl at the well. He walked towards her with the bucket of water, dipping his hand inside, he flicked some at her, smiling as she squealed and recoiled at the cold liquid. 

“Asshole” she said. He placed the bucket on the porch and sat next to her, wiping his hand on his pants. 

“Waters clean enough, should be able to purify it” He stated. 

“Good. You know I’m not living in that room underground, right?” She warned. 

“Yeah, I know.” He answered. 

She leaned back on the wall of the cottage and shifted in her spot, facing Daryl and the pretty, orange sunset that was unfolding behind him. 

“Sorry things have been so…complicated.” He said. Mia sat completely still, a wary look on her face. He glanced at her. “This is me tryin, alright?”

“Oh, right. Yeah.” She said, nodding frantically and hoping he wouldn’t stop there. Pleased at his effort so far, she willed him to summon the courage to say more. 

Daryl hated having to talk about how he felt, but he was willing to try for his sake as much as Mia’s. The uncertainly and complication of everything now weighing on him. 

“I know I been all over the damn place. All over ya one minute and yellin’ atcha the next.” He mumbled. “I don’t mean it. I mean- I don’t mean to be a jerk. When I called ya ‘my girl’, I meant that. I mean all the nice shit.” 

Mia giggled. “Oh, I like the nice shit” She whispered. Slightly amused by his choice of words.

“Yeah?” He asked, a slight smile appearing on his lips. 

“Yeah. I like that you think of me as yours. You should know, I’m not the type of girl to be owned by anybody. But with you, It’s different. Everything’s different with you” She pulled out two cigarettes and lit them both, passing one to him, knowing he would probably need it. 

“It’s strong.” Daryl said. She gave him a confused look. 

“What is?” 

“Whatever I feel. Whatever it is. It’s strong. It’s like I aint happy if I aint around you.” 

Mia noticed his use of words again, he had used a word she was sure he had never used before and was in two minds about whether to mention it. She took a drag of her cigarette and exhaled through her nose, deciding to take the plunge. 

“You’ve never said that word in all the time I’ve known you.” She pondered. 

“What word?” He asked.

“Happy.” 

He lifted his head and looked out into the yard, his mouth open slightly. She could see he looked bewildered. His cigarette was poised between his fingers, the ash teetering on the edge of dropping off and a line of smoke filtered up into the night. He stayed there, motionless and inobtrusive as she continued to stare at him, allowing herself to admire his features and all the while thinking that she may have just made a breakthrough with him. 

A number of minutes passed and eventually, Mia got to her feet and yawned. She flicked her smoke out into the yard and looked down at Daryl, who still hadn’t moved. 

“I’m heading inside” She said, gently squeezing his shoulder before walking into the cottage. 

Happiness was something Daryl had never really taken the time to think about. He had drifted around with Merle and accepted that as his calling in life. His childhood had been far from happy and he hardly expected the apocalypse to be any better. While he was built for this new world, he never expected that he would have the chance to be happy in it. 

 

Inside the cottage, Mia had changed into her long black skirt and a white spaghetti strap top. She meandered about the rooms, folding up sheets and blankets from the previous night and placing them on the stairs to be taken up to the rooms. She swept the floor and removed her sneakers, now roaming about barefoot. In her bedroom, she flipped the mattress and dressed the bed before swapping the old clothes in the drawers with her own. What began as humming while she worked, turned into singing.

“You and me, we’re in this together now, none of them can stop us now, we will make it through somehow”

Startled by his imposing figure in the doorway, her hand shot to her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

“Jesus, Daryl. Don’t sneak up on me like that.” 

He said nothing and just stepped into the room, holding his crossbow in one hand. 

“What are you doing?” She asked

He placed his weapon on the dresser and Mia saw his eyes return to her and scan her entire body, bit by bit, taking his time. His face determined and focused. Raising her eyebrow at him blatantly checking her out, she tried again. 

“Daryl, wha-“

“I’m happy.” He interrupted. “You make me happy and it scares the shit out of me. I never relied on anyone for anythin’, But I know when I’m with you, I’m happy. Everythin’s dark n’ cruel n’ ugly. But you, ya make it all bearable, ya make it better.”

Never one to be lost for words, Mia opened her mouth but nothing came out but a wordless breath. She clumsily played with the sides of her skirt and struggled to find something to say. 

“You make me happy too.” Was all she could manage, distracted by his intense glare. 

He turned and slammed the door before stepping towards her. Anticipation and exhilaration mounted in her chest. She knew he was going to touch her, able to see it written all over his face. 

As Daryl looked at her, he realised he’d been starving. Starving for her and craving her for as far back as he could now remember. He longed to touch her, to feel her silky skin and to bind her in his arms. He took one of her hands in his and lifted it to his lips, planting a soft kiss on the back of it.

Mia battled to stay composed as nerves and anxiety clawed at the inside of her skin. She had never been this nervous around anyone before and right there and then, she could completely empathise with Daryl. It was difficult caring about someone so much, that their opinion matters more than anything ever has. She gave him a shy smile when he kissed the back of her hand. When he let go, they locked eyes and something passed between them, invisible wires charged with tension and need, connecting them. 

Daryl rapidly seized her waist with an arm and pressed her into his body. Her face now so close to his he could feel her breath on his skin. 

“OK… we’re doing this?” She asked

“We’re doin’ this” He agreed.

Her mind raced and she fought with the urge to giggle like a lovesick teenager.

“Close your eyes” She breathed. 

He did as she asked and felt her lips meet his cheek, kissing him lightly before moving to his nose, then his other cheek, then back to his mouth, her lips skimming over his, his beard ticking her skin. She paused and slipped her hand around his neck before gently kissing him. He responded straight away, deepening her efforts and causing her knees to weaken. The taste of cigarettes and the smell of sweat and gasoline filled her senses, only turning her on more. 

Sparks licked at Daryl’s nerve endings and he held her to him tightly, his tongue now caressing hers as she moved her hand up and into his hair. His hands glided around her waist and he lifted her into the air, stepping towards the bed and lowering her down. He kneeled either side of her and felt her tugging at the shoulders of his shirt and vest as his kisses moved to her neck.

Mia wanted his clothes gone, wanting his skin bare so she could feel all of him. He unthreaded his arms from his sleeveless shirt and vest and discarded them on the floor, his lips only leaving her neck for a split second before he returned and slowly started to venture down to her collar bone, moving her straps to one side. His hair swept over her skin only serving to heighten her excitement as she traced her fingers over his shoulder blades and down his muscular arms. Grasping his belt buckle, she pushed it subtly against him, as if asking for permission to proceed.  
He felt her signal to him and reached down to unfasten the buckle himself, giving her a clear answer and leaving her to carry on. His focus then shifted to her smooth legs, locating the end of her skirt, he slowly slid it up her leg, drawing all of the fabric up and stroking from her toes to her thighs.

Mia was extremely glad she had taken the time to look after herself, making sure she shaved her legs and anything else for no other reason than to feel normal. Now, her persistence was paying off. 

He pulled back slightly, glancing down at her popping the button on his jeans and lowering the zip. His shallow breath matching the rhythm of hers. He linked his index fingers in the elastic waistband of her skirt and slipped it down. She raised her hips slightly and looked up at him bashfully as she felt his chest and abdomen with one hand and tugged his jeans down with the other. 

He lowered himself back down to her, hungrily setting to work on her chest when she shifted under him and rolled him onto his back. She settled on top of him with one leg either side, his erection throbbed underneath her, the slight movement and warmth mingling with her own and making her groan. She lifted her top over her head and pulled her hair loose, black strands falling down her shoulders. 

He wanted to beg for her as he slid a hand up her stomach, over her tattoos and between her breasts as she very deliberately moved her hips to grind down on his cock. He couldn’t help but groan, her tactics exhilarating him so much he wondered just how long he was going to last. His eyes closed and he squirmed underneath her, seeing her unclip her bra when he opened them again. She let it fall down her arms and threw it behind her. Her hair tumbled over her chest as he stared up at her. 

“Woah” He gasped quietly at the striking female on top of him. She was unlike anything he had ever seen before and was ever likely to see again. Her dark tattoos in stark contrast to her pale skin. In the evening light of the room, she was exquisite and he wanted her more than ever before.  
Mia nervously licked her lips after hearing him gasp and moaned softly as his fingertips circled around her nipples, making her more and more wet and driving her to take more control. She wrenched his arms up, pulling him into a sitting position and felt his lips meet her chest. He licked and kissed her breasts, enjoying hearing her moan in his ear. Securing her with his arms, he rolled her onto her back and moved over her, gliding her panties down with a finger before removing his own underwear and crashing his lips to hers. Shifting onto his side next to her, his hand crept further and further down her body before he met her soft, waiting folds. 

She placed her hand on top of his and lightly tapped his index and middle fingers. He broke their kiss and looked down at her, seeing her give him a slight nod. Grateful for the direction, he continued dipping the two fingers inside her, feeling her slick opening and observing how her back arched as he slightly curled his fingers inside her. 

Mia smoothed a hand down his stomach, finally grasping his length. He jolted when she began to move her hand up and down his shaft and he buried his face in her neck. 

“Don’t” She heard him say as he thrusted his fingers deep inside her, making a beckoning gesture and skimming her G-spot. She closed her eyes and cried out in gratification, gripping his shoulder as her body vibrated from the movement and tingling pleasure shot through her like lightning bolts. His loud, gasping breaths willing her along and divulging his interest in seeing the want in her. The want for him. As his fingers continued to work their magic, he was bringing her extremely close already and she found herself clamping a hand around his wrist as she wriggled under him. Opening her eyes, she saw his slow, appreciative contemplation of her body as he looked down at their connection, his moving hand, her bucking hips and slowly all the way back up to her face. He removed his hand from inside her and rubbed over her clit, his breathing now heavy and rapid. 

Mia tried again to lower her hand to him but he stopped her half way. 

“Don’t” He said again between laboured breaths. “It’s…it’s been a while.” 

She smiled up at him “You and me both” she said, relieved when he returned her smile and moved back over her. 

She traced his lips with her thumb as he looked down at her, positioning his legs inside hers. 

“You sure you want this?” She asked him.

He kissed her neck, hurried, forceful caresses followed by a small bite as he pressed the head of his cock against her opening, entering her slowly and taking his time. 

Mia felt her body tense with pleasure when he was finally, fully inside her, a sharp intake of breath from both of them causing her to smile and lick her lips. This felt like…finally. 

He waited for her to adjust before pulling back and driving into her again. He groaned as he felt her rise her hips to meet him and kissed her roughly, her hands reaching for his face, into his hair, then across the sheets. Maybe it was because she had only been with selfish men, that she felt gratitude and satisfaction when he hit the right spot, noticing her increased reaction. The taut, sure strength in his hips encouraging her to push back as he pressed into her. It hadn’t been long, not long at all before she felt herself on that journey, not quite there yet but definitely on the way. 

Daryl’s eyes were closed, he opened them to see her beneath him, a gloriously twisted mess of sweat and desire. Her small cries and clawing fingers along his back and arms pushing him closer, closer still to the edge which he did not yet want to fall from. Not now, not this soon. The bed creaked and groaned with their movement, sweat slicked skin struck together in an intense and dramatic moment.

She was trying, trying so hard not to give in, trying to avert her mind, to distract herself when she heard him moan loudly and curse. His passionate reaction sparking something frantic in her. Nails dug deep into the skin on his bicep and back, leaving little red half-moon patterns followed harsh red scratches. 

“Harder” She ordered, continuing to lift her hips as he slammed into her with increased ferocity. He was rough yet still cautious, lustful but still considerate and was sending electricity to every corner of her mind and body. Mia noticed his Rhythm falter slightly when he whispered in her ear. 

“Close” 

The word hurried her along her own journey, feeling herself building up and up with each thrust, allowing it to move along. The room now an orchestra of shallow, rapid breaths and moans of ecstasy. She liked to hear him, liked to know how good it felt to him and as he neared the edge, he only got louder. 

“Me too” She warned, feeling her muscles tense around him inside, her back arching off the bed and her chest flushing red. She had arrived. Intense, heavy waves flushed through her body, setting her mind and soul alight as Daryl watched her from above, finally giving in, driving deep insider her and holding himself there as she tensed around him, her muscles massaging his cock as he came. 

Even her fingertips and toes tingled as her orgasm subsided. She released a long, satisfied sigh and Daryl jolted intermittently, gently pulsing inside her. His face was buried in her neck, his panting tickling her skin. He attempted to move from her when she clamped her hands around his arms. 

“Don’t move. Just give it a minute” She said, smiling up at him. 

“OK” He answered, kissing her lips then down her chin and neck before resting his head in her breasts. She realised he was trembling slightly as her gaze drew over his sweat covered, scarred back. She had scratched and stabbed him with her nails to the point of leaving marks. 

They lay there for a few minutes in each other’s arms. Daryl eventually withdrawing and laying on his side facing Mia, who was staring at the ceiling. He observed the slight curve of her rosy lips, her long eyelashes and the light freckles on her nose and cheeks. 

“You’re real sexy” He said. Seeing a smile form on her face. “I uh… couldn’t believe ma eyes. Damn lucky sommbitch”

“Thanks” She whispered. Turning her head to him and feeling a sense of achievement. She had finally broken down the well enforced wall and got him to acknowledge his feelings and now, here they were, naked, legs entwined and in awe of one another. 

He shot her a shy smile and slid a hand over her stomach, moving himself closer to her.

“I hurt ya?” He asked. She scoffed and placed her hand over his on her stomach. 

“Hell no. It’s me that did the damage. Cut your arms, back and shoulders up like a Virginia Ham. I got carried away. You’re hot. It’s your own fault.” 

He lifted his arm from her stomach and observed the long, angry red lines sprouting from crescent moon shapes, they twisted and turned into criss-crossed lines and he furrowed his brow. 

“Shit” He said “Gonna have a hard time hidin’ those”

“Yeah” She said, nibbling on her thumbnail. 

“S’fine, aint nobody gonna believe I got laid, So Im’ma just say I got attacked by a bear”

Mia burst out laughing and nudged him playfully, seeing him beam at her, a glint in his eye. He sat up and swung his legs off the side of the bed, pulling on his clothes. Mia remained where she was, wincing slightly at the sight of the damage she’d caused his skin. His sleeveless shirt and vest not managing to hide any of it. 

Daryl heard her move and he looked back to see she had brought a sheet up over her and now lay on her side, her eyes fixed on him. 

“You bailing on me, Dixon?” She jested. He leaned over her, lightly kissing her forehead and running his fingers through her hair. 

“Get some rest, I’m goin’ to check the fence and take watch.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you're still enjoying this, it keeps me writing! Thanks for all the comments, kudos and booksmarks so far. Can't quite believe this has been read as much as it has!  
> **another smut warning/explicit sex** and fluff fluff fluff.

Mia slept soundly and awoke to find it still dark. She opened her assault pack and pulled out three trash bags. Sitting on the bed by the light of her flashlight placed on the dresser, she set to work piercing small holes in the bottom of them with her knife. In the bathroom, she set out her toiletries around the shower and placed the bag on the floor before heading downstairs to retrieve a bucket of water from the well. 

Daryl was nowhere to be seen, the yard was quiet and the sound of crickets chirped noisy through the silence. The light of the moon lit the well enough for her to see what she was doing as she heaved the heavy bucket up and out of the dark hole, water sloshed over its sides, making the ground beneath her feet muddy. 

On the way back to the cottage, she hugged the bucket to her stomach as she walked slowly. Scanning the yard once more, she finally spotted Daryl lit by the moonlight and sat on the grass in the treelines, shrouded in darkness and smoking a cigarette. He was stripping a branch of its leaves. She stopped at watched him for a moment. Once the branch in his hand was bare, he tossed it to the side and took another drag on his smoke, his crossbow leaned against his leg. He looked thoughtful, like he was enjoying the quiet solitude, so Mia decided against bothering him, instead choosing to carry on into the house. She heated a large pan of the water on the stove and took it up to the bathroom. She tied the trash bags to the shower fixture above her, thankful for the high ceiling allowing enough room for her to move. Standing on the edge of the shower, she lifted the pan of water and filled the bags. Water sprouted from the holes and she smiled to herself. It had been a while since she’d had to make one of these makeshift showers.

  

Daryl’s head was still swimming with the images of Mia underneath him and he couldn’t help but smile smugly when he thought of her. Bowled over by not only her beauty, but her reaction to him, her un-phased, confident and unashamed want for him, it had felt at the time like he had been on the outside looking in at first. Like he was watching himself from some astral plane, finally allowing himself to have something that made him happy. He picked at the branch in his hand, every bright green leaf being slowly stripped from the bark. It had been a long time since he’d been with a woman, let alone someone he considered to be in a league as high as Mia and being intimate with someone he cared about was a completely new thing to him. It was still confusing and unnerving, not knowing what would happen now or how he should be around her weighed on his mind. More than anything, the constant niggle that they used no protection whirled around in his mind, sending a shiver of anxiety running through his veins each time. 

She stepped out onto the porch in her black jeans, Anthrax T-shirt and her military boots. Strapping her knife holster to her belt, she glanced up into the yard at the fence. Daryl had worked while she slept to make it stronger, adding more wooden posts and stringing more barbed wire along it. She hopped down the stairs and started towards him. Feeling a strange sense of nervousness rising in her stomach. 

“Hey” She said quietly as she approached. He looked up and her and instantly stood up, grabbing his crossbow and grunting at her in acknowledgement. She noticed he wouldn’t look at her face, instead his eyes darted around the clearing and to the floor and then around again. 

“We should switch, you need some sleep. I uh, made a makeshift shower from some trash bags in the bathroom. You just need to heat the rest of the water in the kitchen and fill the bag.”

He lifted the crossbow and fiddled with the arrows, keeping his eyes low. 

“Smartass” He mumbled. 

“What can I say? I’m pretty resourceful and you’re jealous because you didn’t think of it” She shrugged, smiling slightly and trying to catch his eye. 

He lowered the weapon to his side again and moved past her, heading back to the cottage. Mia sighed and lifted her head to the dark sky. 

“Give me strength to deal with Mr. Bashful” She whispered to herself. 

“Mia” She heard Daryl say from behind her. She turned and saw him standing by the gate, around 100 metres from her. 

“Yeah?” She saw him shift his stance and chew his lip, willing him to say something. 

“Nothin’” He mumbled as he continued through the gate. Mia sighed in frustration as she watched him walk back into the cottage. 

 

Not wanting to waste any time and figuring she could keep watch while making herself useful as Daryl had done, she began to rummage through the dilapidated wooden structure at the side of the cottage that housed all sorts of gardening tools. Shining her flashlight around the place, She found a blunt shovel and examined the handle, checking it was still strong enough. Finding it as suitable as it would get, she started to dig over the large patch of grass to the left of the building by the light of the flashlight, positioned on a tree stump, tossing big lumps of grass and mud into a big pile. After two hours, she had removed half of the grass in the area and had begun to dig through the uncovered soil and remove any weeds and remaining grass roots. 

She sat at the side of now huge mud patch and surveyed her work, feeling pleased as punch she had got this much done. The sun had started to pierce bright beams through the treetops and Mia thought it had to be around 7am as she wiped the perspiration from her brow and gulped the last of the water from a bottle she had brought up from the bunker. 

Daryl emerged from the cottage some time later, munching noisily on a bowl of cereal and powdered milk. He stopped eating when he saw the huge patch of mud Mia had dug over. She stood at the far end, leaning on her spade stuck in the earth. 

“Ya should have waited, I would have helped” He called out to her. 

Mia lifted a hand and shielded her eyes from the sun as she squinted at him. 

“I got bored!” She chirped. 

Daryl scoffed and shook his head. “Crazy ass woman” he said to himself before shovelling another spoonful of cereal into his mouth and going back inside. 

Mia decided to take a break and sat on the grass in front of the cottage in the sun. Her shovel lay beside her along with her cigarettes and an energy bar wrapper. She heard footsteps behind her and glanced over her shoulder to see Daryl pacing back and forth awkwardly. 

“You are going to wear the damn grass out or set it on fire walking back and forth like that” She said, patting the ground beside her. “Sit your ass down”.

Obliging, he sat down and began to pick at the stitching on one of his boots. 

“What’s wrong, Daryl?” She asked. 

He paused before continuing to pick. 

“Nothin’” he grumbled, shrugging his shoulders. 

“You’ve not looked me in the eye since last night and there’s obviously something you want to say to me. I’m not an idiot and you’re a shitty liar. So, spill.” 

With that, he looked at her face briefly, noticing the large mud smear on her left cheek. It was a while before he spoke, Mia observing him as he formulated the words. 

Daryl had a couple of things he wanted to say, but neither was going to be easy. Knowing how persistent and stubborn she was, he accepted that it would have to be now or she would never let it go. He took a deep breath. 

“We uh…we did…” He began, his hand waving about in the air in a circular motion as if trying to push himself along.

“…Y’know. Without-“

“Oh!” Mia interrupted, understanding what he was getting it. “Right, yeah. I thought this might come up.” She said as she shuffled around in her spot to face him. 

“Look, I’m not diseased, and neither are you, am I right?” She asked. 

“Yeah. Aint just that though” He responded. Mia looked down into her lap, feeling the subject choice starting to weigh on her. 

“I guess there is something I can’t do after all” She said softy, her head still down. “So you don’t have to worry about that, OK?” She looked up at him, seeing a slightly shocked but sad expression staring back at her. 

“M’sorry” He said 

Mia smiled “It’s cool. I made my peace with it a long time ago.” She said, playing it down. 

Daryl lifted his left hand and gently wiped at the dirt on her cheek. 

“Ya got mud on ya”

She found his hand. Her fingers curling around his. 

 

Something in the yard caught Daryl’s attention and his head snapped in its direction. Slowly trudging across the grass was Rick, holding his gun at his side, sweat dripping from his forehead. Daryl snatched his hand away and quickly stood up, startling Mia. 

“Hey, you found it” He called out. Reaching the fence, Rick stopped and looked around, holstering his gun and placing his hands on his hips. He nodded at Daryl and walked through the gate. 

“Took me a while, felt like I was walking for hours. Brought a truck but it’s parked just off the road a few miles back.” The two men shared a manly embrace, Rick gently slapping Daryl on the back. He looked over at Mia on the grass. 

“Hey Mia” He said. She gestured as if to tip a non-existent hat to him and got to her feet. 

“This looks cosy” He said to Daryl, a small glint in his eye. 

“It is” said Mia, giving him an exaggerated wink and grinning. 

“C’mon, I’ll show ya ‘round” Daryl backed up and turned, looking at Mia as he passed. 

 

Daryl and Rick wandered around the area while Mia watched intermittently from the porch, gently pressing seeds into soil filled trays and covering them over. They stopped by the patch and Mia strained to listen in to their conversation. 

“What’s goin’ on here, Daryl?” Rick asked, lowering his voice, but not enough so Mia couldn’t hear. 

“What ya mean?” Daryl said. 

“What happened to your arm?” Rick confirmed. Daryl shrugged subtly. 

“Uh, Walker scratched it” He answered. Mia felt a slight pang of amusement and sniggered to herself.

“I’m not an idiot, Daryl. Those are some pretty deep fingernail scratches and Walkers fingernails mostly just snap off and you and I both know that a scratch can lead to being turned. Did she attack you or something? You guys OK out here?” Rick whispered, tilting his head in Mia’s direction. 

Daryl wrinkled his nose and shook his head. 

“Hell naw she didn’t attack me! Not in a bad way anyways” He exclaimed as Ricks eyes widened. He studied Daryl’s face as the penny finally began to drop.

“Oh! Right. Uh…really? I mean…” Rick stammered. “…I get it man, sorry” 

“Jeez” Daryl huffed “We get on. We’re close. I guess. I dunno. Stop it.”

Rick smirked and Mia heard him laugh slightly before Daryl smiled shyly and looked at the floor. She wanted to stand up from her spot on the porch and proclaim proudly “We had sex last night!” But decided against it, knowing that Daryl would probably die of embarrassment. Instead, she carried on planting seeds and glancing up at the man that she would move heaven and earth for, who amusingly thought they were just ‘close’. 

 

Rick walked slowly around the bunker, picking up tins and boxes, packets and jars, examining them and placing them neatly back where he found them. He was silent other than that and Mia stood in the doorway having escorted him down there. He eventually came across the hardy metal shelf that housed the weapons, picking up a flare gun and smiling up at Mia.

“It’s quite the find” She stated. “It was Daryl, he found it and insisted we check it out” 

“This is…this is great. There’s enough to last for a long time.” He said. 

“Yeah, and even when all the tinned stuff and powered shit it gone, we have the supplies to grow vegetables and purify water. There’s even alcohol, look.” She pulled a box from a shelf and took out a small bottle of clear liquid, handing it to him. 

“For the bad days” She grinned. 

Rick looked down at the bottle in his hand before returning his gaze to her. 

“The Hilltop. They have crops, livestock. This place means we always have a backup.” He said, placing the bottle back in the box and walking to the back on the room. 

“What’s in there?” He asked, pointing to the door to the bedroom. 

“It was a bedroom. The guy that lived down here was keeping a young girl prisoner in there. Doesn’t bare thinking about. We found them both turned. I cleared it out but neither of us has been in there since. It’s just…dark, y’know?”

Rick nodded and decided against opening the door. “It has electricity too” He stated. 

“Yeah, it seems it’s all powered by generators.” 

They both meandered around the room quietly, Rick taking things off shelves and placing them in a box to take back with him, while Mia sat at the table and sorted through the medication box, halving everything so they could ration what they had. 

“Rick, please will keep what you’ve seen between Daryl and I to yourself?” She asked suddenly. 

Rick slowly turned from the shelving unit and placed the box in front of her on the table. 

“Alright. Why?” 

She opened another pill box and scattered them into a small pile on the table before looking up at him. 

“He’s happy.” She said quietly and catching Rick’s eye. “Been all around the god damn houses about it but he finally told me last night. He’s also shy and he won’t want the what’s left of the world and his wife to know yet. He’ll tell the others when he’s ready.”

Rick smiled down at her. “No problem.” 

 

Twigs cracked under Mia’s boots as she trudged through the woods, her hands firmly clasped around a box held closely to her body. Daryl walked beside her and Rick next to him as they made their way to the truck. 

“I’ve been thinking, you are two of our most effective and experienced fighters. Eventually, we will need you but not where Negan can find you. So, once things are set here, I’m going to look into swapping you with two others from the Hilltop that can keep an eye on things. In the meantime, I need a way to contact you both if we need you. I’ll have to use the flare gun, in the right direction, Negan’s outposts won’t see it but you two will. So, make sure you stay alert and listening, OK?” Rick explained.

Daryl nodded followed by Mia, who was starting to get out of breath from the heat and being on mile four of walking through the woods. 

“We found a heard in a nearby Quarry and I’m thinking of diverting them in Negan’s direction, might keep them off our backs for a while. We found another community that might be willing to work with us against Negan and I need time to work out a deal with them.”

“Ya need me to come help?” Daryl asked. Rick shook his head. 

“No, not right now, I’ll call for you if I need you. You need to stay out of the way. Last thing we need is you getting recaptured.”

“I’ll second that. You get recaptured and I’ll have to come and getcha’” Mia quipped from beside them. 

“I get recaptured ‘n Rick will lock ya ass up so ya can’t go nowhere, right?” Daryl said, looking at Rick, who nodded dutifully and smirked across at Mia once Daryl looked ahead of him again, seeing the truck appear in the distance. 

 

The walk back had been painfully quiet, Daryl hadn’t said a word as they walked along. The only sound coming from breaking twigs beneath their feet and Mia singing softly to herself. When they returned to the cottage, she went back to her seed planting. She pushed the dining table against the window and placed the trays in a line along the rectangular sunny patch that beamed through the glass. When she was done, she headed down to the bunker where she knew she would find Daryl. 

 

He was stood facing the firearms shelf, counting the ammo. Mia approached him from behind, sliding her hands around his waist and up to his front, pressing her body against his back. She felt him exhale and saw him close his eyes and hang his head at her touch. She let him enjoy the moment before speaking.

“So we’re just ‘close’, huh?” 

He opened his eyes and stared down at the shelving in front of him. He hadn’t been aware that she had heard his response to Rick and now cursed himself for not being more discreet. She felt him sigh and try to move but she only tightened her grasp on him, telling him in no uncertain terms that this was a conversation they had to have. 

“No, just try.” She pleaded. 

“I didn’t know what to say.” He admitted. “I dunno what’s goin’ on between us” 

She kissed his neck lightly, he tasted of salt and sweat and she felt him tense as her lips met his skin briefly. 

“Well, you wore those scratches like a badge of honour today. If you want to do more of what we did last night and you carry on calling me ‘your girl’ and telling Rick to lock me up for my own protection, then I’d say we’re pretty much in a relationship, Daryl.” 

She allowed him to turn in her embrace, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. She placed her hands on his chest and gently rubbed her nose against his. 

“What do you think?” She asked

“I dunno. Aint never been in one.” He admitted. Thinking that this was the second thing he had wanted to talk to her about earlier, now she was doing it for him.

“It doesn’t have to be complicated. It kinda just, flows. You be honest with me, I’ll be honest with you and we have each other’s backs. Oh, and you have to give me all the Orange Soda that you find” She grinned. 

Daryl lifted a hand and brushed through the front of her hair before cradling the side of her face. 

“I can do that.” He agreed. 

“Oh, and no fucking anybody else” Mia warned. His brow furrowed and he looked quizzically at her. 

“Ya kiddin’ me? Already punchin’ way above my weight with ya, I sure as hell don’t wanna fuck anybody else. Aint nobody gonna compare anyways”.

Pleased with his declaration, she pressed her lips to his and melted into his embrace as his other arm pulled her closer to him by his waist. Her body tingled as her tongue swirled around his and he gripped onto her like she would vanish at any moment, like she would fly away.  
She slowly pulled away from him and brushed her nose to his again.

“You are not punching above your weight, Daryl.” She whispered. “Stop thinking that you aren’t good enough. You are”

“Naw, I just got lucky, is all.” He said “Never would have got a girl like you before. I’ve asked an’ ya told me why, but I’ll never get it, I’ll never get why ya want me. But I figure I’m damn well going to enjoy it before ya realise ya can do better.” 

Her hand slipped down his chest and stomach, stopping at the bulge in his jeans. She firmly gripped his cock through his clothes and looked straight into his eyes. 

“I don’t want better, Dixon. I see you. I want you.” 

She waited, the expression on his face changing as he processed what was happening between them. He inhaled sharply and grunted at the delightful pressure of her hand on him. 

“Right here?” He asked.

She raised an eyebrow at him and waited again. Not only was she entrancing, she was dangerous and explosive to him. He was now sure that she was the one thing that made him happy, possibly for the first time in his life. She did see him, for all his anger and rage, for his awkwardness, for his inexperience and reluctance to acknowledge his feelings. She saw him for who he was and wanted him all the same. 

Mia could only liken the change in him to flicking a switch. As she stood there, her eyes looking into his, something in him transformed right in front of her.

He grabbed her waist and lifted her from the floor, her boots swinging in the air as he walked her to the table. He shifted her to one side and gripped her with one big arm, holding her close to his side as if she weighed nothing. With his other arm, he swept everything from the table onto the floor. Gun parts, medication, papers and an ash tray all scattered around the room. He sat her on the edge of the table and crashed his lips to hers. Slightly taken aback by his new-found confidence, Mia returned the kiss eagerly and wrapped her legs around his waist as he slowly pushed her back onto her elbows. He wound his hand in her hair and pulled it back roughly to allow him access to her neck, setting to work immediately and nipping at her soft, pale skin. Mia’s breath hitched in her throat as she felt his other hand clamp between her legs, forcibly rubbing over her jeans. 

Leaving her neck and hair, he stood up straight, unbuckled his belt and pants and pulled them down, revealing his hard and waiting length. Pulling Mia’s down too, he paused to place his lips below her tattoo. Kissing and licking his way down, his tongue gave small, light licks between her folds, flicking over her clit and causing her to buck beneath him. An ardent moan escaped her and grabbed his hair, grinding herself against his face. He smiled as he continued to move his tongue around her pussy, gripping her boots and lifting her legs higher. She could feel how ready she was for him, Daryl confirming it for both of them when he pushed two fingers inside of her and slowly slid them out. 

He moved further over her pushing her T-Shirt up, signalling that he wanted it gone. She sat up and lifted it over her head, returning to leaning back on her elbows, Daryl gripped the straps of her bra and yanked them down, peppering hungry kisses all over her chest and breasts as he moved her bra down further, leaving it fastened and around her middle. She wriggled and groaned under him, her hands searching his back, tracing over the large scars of his past. Suddenly needing some control of her own, she pushed at his shoulders, straightening him and wrapping her fingers around his cock. She was sure she could hear him gasp at the contact as she moved her hand up and down him, massaging the end with her thumb. 

Daryl bit her lip as he kissed her again, trying to contain himself at the feeling of her hand on him. He moaned into her mouth and she felt him throb and harden under her fingers. 

He hoisted her hips forward, positioning himself at her entrance before leaning down to her and kissing her roughly, holding her jaw in his grasp Mia could feel him rubbing her up and down with the head of his cock, making her clit pulse before he was even inside her. 

“You’re holding back” She breathed. 

“I could hurt ya.” He admitted. She placed her hand over his on her jaw and lowered it to her throat, placing his thumb on one side and his fingers on the other. His eyes flickered and he gazed down at her throat in his hand. 

“I’m not fragile. Do what you want.” She ordered. 

He made sure to look right at her when he slammed into her, his jaw pulling tight and a grunt escaping his lips. Mia cried out as he filled her, clasping his collar and ripping open his shirt to feel his chest. He slammed into her again, her back arching as he increased his hold on her throat.

She reached for him with both hands, holding his wrist as he went to remove his vest. 

“Leave it on.” She said, biting her lip. The corner of his mouth lifted into a satisfied snarl as he rammed into her, harder and faster this time, his hand trailing from her throat down to her breast, pinching her nipple. His other hand pressed down on the top of her leg, forcing her down onto him. She leaned back on one arm and began to lift her hips to meet him, stabs of pain mixing with pleasure from his rough thrusting. With every hard push he groaned louder before he was no longer aware of his volume. Mia joining him in a chorus of delicious noises. Sweat began to bead on Daryl’s chest and forehead. He pulled out of her taking her wrist and flipping her over. Her boots hit the floor and she placed both of her palms on the table in front of her. Daryl’s rough hands smoothed their way up the back of her thighs and he grabbed an ass cheek, growling in appreciation. 

As he pushed inside her again, he picked up the pace, sending fire pulsing through her core, the loud slapping sound coupled with his addictive moans made her toes curl in her boots and the tendons tighten in the back of her legs. 

Daryl slid a hand up her back, over her tattoos and bra clasp and took hold of her hair in his fist. 

“Pull it” She gasped. Her head snapped back as he did as he was told, hearing a raspy ‘yes’ from her after being wary of pulling too hard. He wound her hair around his fist and pulled back as he thrusted deep inside her. Reaching around to her front with his other hand, he took hold of her left nipple between his fingers and applied enough pressure to cause a loud moan from her. 

He was pounding into her now, using her defenceless position to both of their advantages, she wanted to be controlled and he wanted to lose control as he took her. Now he knew how good almost losing control felt, he was still holding back a little for fear of hurting her. He could feel her muscles tightening around him and realised she was almost there. His hair now stuck to his face, sweat ran down his temples and his mind consumed by pleasure fought to hold himself back until she was spent. His hand dropped to her clit, fondling it in time with their rhythm. 

“Oh my god” She gasped. 

Upon hearing her express her delight, he leaned forward, pushing as deep into her as he could and feeling her legs buckle. He pulled back harder on her hair and leaned closer to her face, his hand slamming against the table top to steady himself. 

“Come for me” He whispered into her ear. 

Mia suddenly felt a rush of heat and sparks sweep across her body, prickling her skin and igniting her senses. She began to shudder and slapped her hand over his on the table as her orgasm flashed through her, pulsing in her head, between her legs and in her chest. She could hear him growling with enjoyment at her trembling. 

Daryl felt her quake under him and the sensation tipped him over the edge. Dazed by pleasure he released his own orgasm, letting go of her hair and resting his head on the back of her shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. Small groans escaped Mia’s lips as he pulsated in her and she continued to squeeze her muscles around him, her hair hanging forward and pooling on the table in front of her. 

Daryl enveloped her in his arms, crossing them over her front and lifting her upright, so he could feel her back against his chest. Nuzzling into her hair and her neck, his breathing was shallow and rapid.

“Damn, Dixon” She said breathlessly, feeling over his big arms with one hand and reaching behind her to thread her fingers into his hair with the other. 

As he pulled out of her, Daryl’s arms retreated from around her body and his fingers found the straps of her bra. He held them out for her to thread her arms through and she smiled hazily at the gesture as she dipped her arms through the holes and he gently slid the straps up to her shoulders. Kissing the skin beside one of them tenderly. 

He stepped away from her and pulled up his pants. She did the same before sitting back on the table facing him with her screwed up T-shirt in her hand, not bothering to put it back on yet. 

“Sorry about your shirt.” She said, licking her lips at the sight of his dishevelled hair, ripped clothing and flushed cheeks. 

“I got others” He replied, avoiding her eyes and fastening what buttons were left. 

“Daryl” She said. 

“Yeah?” He said as he carried on fussing with his clothes. 

“Don’t go all coy on me.” She pleaded, noticing that he looked uncomfortable.

“Wha? I’m not” He replied, still not looking at her, instead opting to pick up the papers from the floor. 

“Come here. Please” She asked.

He moved towards her, keeping his eyes down. Mia took the papers from his hand and threw them behind her on the table before intertwining her fingers with his and pulling him closer to her, her legs either side of him. He was still sweating, his hair now slick with it. 

She removed one hand from his and took his chin with her thumb and index finger, forcing him to look at her. “You’re incredible.” She told him. 

“I was scared of hurtin ya” He said, the words catching in his throat. 

“You don’t need to be. I told you I’m not fragile. I like it rough sometimes. Nothing hotter than being wanted so urgently like that” She winked at him. He huffed and suppressed a smile. 

“Why did ya want me to keep the vest on?” He asked. Mia giggled and ran a finger down his muscular arm. 

“I guess I got a thing for it, is that a problem?” 

“Naw, s’ok” He said bashfully. 

She let go of his hand and unravelled her T-shirt. She pulled it over her head and Daryl gently pulled her hair from underneath it and smoothed it across her shoulder. 

“I got a thing for ya hair…” He confessed “…and ya freckles. Ya beautiful” 

Mia slid off the table and stood in front of him. She kissed him softly and squeezed his hand.

“Thank you” she said and set to work clearing up the mess they had made. Her heart jumping with happiness. She loved it when he called her that.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! It makes me happy to know that people enjoy my story!   
> LOVE <3

It was 5:30pm and the sky had turned a pastel shade of pink with lines of purple and orange. Daryl was in the basement to the cottage, connecting the electricity supply to a generator while Mia tended to the seed trays, watering the soil and making sure they had enough light. She had decided to start the herbs off in these and had spent a large portion of the day sorting seeds and fashioning a large trellis from branches collected by Daryl in the woods. She pushed the drapes further back from the windows to catch the last few rays of sunshine and wandered outside. 

She sat beside the vegetable patch and continued to bind branches together with string for the trellis, humming softly to herself and puffing away on the cigarette balanced on her lips. Her hands and fingers were sore from winding the string around the wood so tightly. 

“We have light.” Daryl announced as he plonked down beside her and taking the branch from her hands. 

“Awesome” She replied, taking the cigarette from her mouth and tapping it, the ash blowing away in the light breeze. Daryl reached in front of her to retrieve the ball of string and continued her task for her. 

“What’s your favourite colour?” She asked, taking one last drag and stubbing the butt out into the grass. 

“What ya wanna know that for?” He mumbled. 

“If you’re going to be my boyfriend I wanna know shit about you.” She said casually. 

Daryl paused and looked sideways at her, she noticed the strange look on his face before he huffed and shook his head, his attention turning back to the trellis panel. 

“What?!” Mia asked. 

“That word” He said, shaking his head again “Boyfriend”

Mia giggled and leaned sideways, her shoulder deliberately bumping his. 

“Ahh I knew you’d hate it.” She joked, laughing softly as she spoke.

“I don’t hate it. S’just weird.” He corrected. 

“Yeah, it kinda is.” She agreed. 

A silence followed and Mia lay back on the grass, her hands behind her head and her T-shirt riding up slightly to reveal a small slither of bare skin above her jeans. Daryl tried not to look but found his gaze wandering and that he had no desire to avert his eyes. She watched the flies and small bugs float around in the air above her, their small, fragile lives no different as they went about their business. She began to hum again. Daryl listened and still frequently wondered how she always found it so easy to be so relaxed and carefree in such a dangerous and dark world. 

“I aint got one” He mumbled, interrupting her tune. 

“Hmm?” She said, sitting up slightly on her elbows. 

“A favourite colour. I don’t really have favourites of anythin.” He said.

“How can you not have favourites of anything?!” She cried, now sitting upright again, grass clinging to the ends of her hair. 

“I dunno, aint never thought about it or been asked I guess. What’s yours?” He asked.

“Black” She replied. 

He scoffed. “That aint no colour” 

“Like hell it isn’t! Black looks good on anything! Clothes, walls, cars, cats.” She explained

“It aint a colour.” He corrected. 

“You’re an argumentative son of a bitch, you know that?” She ripped a handful of grass from the ground and threw it into his lap. A laugh escaped him and he smiled at her. 

“You just can’t stand bein wrong” 

“Fine. Purple.” She said “My favourite, real, colour is purple.” She emphasised the word ‘real’ and shot him a petulant look. “You must have a favourite something”

He shrugged. “Got a favourite person…I guess” 

Mia grinned and nudged him with her shoulder again. 

“It’s Rick” He said, keeping a completely straight face. He glanced at Mia, her eyebrow raised. Not able to stay stoic for any longer, he smiled slightly and Mia slapped his arm. 

“Asshole” She mumbled under her breath. 

“Ya got other favourites?” He asked. Mia wasn’t used to him asking her so many questions. She liked it and wished he was more willing to surrender information like she was. 

“Oh yeah. I got a favourite everything.” She mused, thinking back to the good old days of having what would now be considered luxuries. “Tequila. Cats. The smell of freshly cut grass. Steak. I did have a favourite person too but I changed my mind on that one in the last minute or so.”

He had now stopped his task completely and was watching her as she spoke, taking in everything she was saying and admiring how her expression changed when she thought back to what once was. He nodded in acceptance at her poking fun at him. 

“Ya ever had a white trash brunch?” he enquired. 

“No” She replied. 

“Peanut butter and jelly, Diet soda and pig’s feet. White trash brunch right there.” 

She wrinkled her nose and gave him a disgusted look. “What a shame I’m not able to sample that culinary delight.” She said sarcastically. 

Daryl smiled and moved the branches and string away and shifted closer to Mia, bringing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him. She was stunned at the new-found confidence in him but wasn’t about to ruin it by saying anything. She leaned against his side and placed a hand on his thigh, listening to him breathing. 

“Y’know what? I think we’re safe enough to sleep at the same time.” Mia suggested. 

“Yeah, fence should hold. Anythin knocks against it, it’ll be loud enough to wake ‘em in the next state, let alone us.” He agreed. 

“So, you camping with me in the big bed?” 

“Naw, ya snore like ya sawin’ logs n’ stackin’ em” He said. 

Mia sat up and gave him an offended look, her mouth hanging open. 

“I’m kiddin’” He laughed. “You should see ya face.” 

 

She awoke in the night, her eyes flickered open and adjusted to the darkness in the room. She lay on her back, the cracks in the ceiling reaching across the paintwork like branches on a tree in winter. The thick cobwebs and dust topped pictures on the wall reminding her of where she was. One of her hands was incredibly warm.

She glanced next to her to see Daryl, fast asleep and clutching her hand to his chest. She smiled sleepily and turned to face him as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake him. With her other hand, she lifted the hair from his face and stroked her fingertips down his upper arm, the defined muscles lifting her fingers as they journeyed down his skin. She sighed in satisfaction and shifted closer to him. He stirred but did not wake, squeezing her hand and bringing it up to his face. He snuggled his cheek against their interwoven fingers and fell silent. Mia watched him a few moments more, enjoying being able to relish the things about him she liked the most. His shaggy, floppy hair, his short, slightly greying beard, his toned, strong arms and how peaceful he looked in this moment, fast asleep and clinging onto her hand like it was the holy grail. 

“I’m falling for you, Daryl.” She whispered before drifting back to a peaceful sleep. 

 

The sound of the crossbow releasing snapped her out of her sleep. She sat up with a start and frantically searched the room, her mind racing to catch up to her eyes. Daryl was gone. She threw the covers back, grabbed her knife and a thin jacket to cover her naked arms and raced down the stairs, missing the two at the bottom and landing with a thump at the bottom. Her legs prickled with the chilly morning air, protected only by a pair of black shorts. 

Daryl wasn’t in the house and she could now hear the crossbow being fired again along with the unmistakeable snarling of Walkers. She flung open the front door and ran out onto the porch, scanning the yard. In the far corner, Daryl was poised with his crossbow aimed at Walkers emerging from the woods. The clearing held 3 dead ones already. In her bare feet, she sprinted across the grass as out of the gate towards him, almost reaching him when she realised she only had her knife for a weapon. She ran back and snatched the blunt shovel from the vegetable patch before returning to Daryl. 

“Morning!” She sang. “Nothing like the risk of being eaten alive to start the day!”

Daryl squeezed the crossbows trigger again and Mia heard something heavy slump onto the ground in the bushes. She inched her way towards the treeline, the shovel held aloft like a baseball bat. 

“Watch yaself, don’t get too close to the trees” Daryl warned. Mia turned to him to make a comment about how she could handle herself as a huge, rotting corpse lunged at her from the trees, slamming her into the ground and snapping at her face. Shock flashed through her body as she attempted to push it off of her, but it was too strong. It’s tall, heavy frame weighing down on her. She thrashed from side to side as its teeth snapped at her neck, feeling a strangled scream escape her throat. Her hand shot out and over the grass to try and grab either her knife or the shovel which she was sure were nearby, but to no avail. Dark green, putrid smelling liquid dripped from its teeth and smeared across her chest. She thought she could hear Daryl yelling something at her but the noise of the Walkers bubbling chest and chattering teeth was deafening underneath it. She tried again to gain a hold of its shoulder and push it up into the air above her to enable herself to roll out from underneath it, failing once again to conquer its weight. She begged her mind to stay calm so she could think of a way out, but outwardly, she just screamed. 

Daryl had tried to kick the Walker off of her, but it held on tight. He stepped back and yelled at her to hold it still, quickly realising she was overpowered. He exhaled steadily and squeezed the trigger on the crossbow. The bolt flying out of the weapon and embedding into the Walkers temple. It collapsed onto her and he heard her gag. He ran to her, skidding on the grass as he swooped down to take hold of the Walkers clothing. He hauled the body away and kneeled beside her grime and mucus covered body as she coughed and spluttered. Her head was turned away from him. 

“Mia? Mia? Ya bit? Mia?” He gasped as he held her face and turned it towards him. She blinked rapidly in shock and coughed. 

“Answer me, Mia. Are ya bit?” He tried again. She finally focused on him, seeing his panicked face looming over her, sweat running down his face and his eyes concerned and desperate.

“God dammit, Mia! Answer me!” He yelled, running his hands over her shoulders and neck, searching for any wounds and wiping at any green slime on her skin. 

“I’m OK” She managed, her voice cracked and hoarse from the screaming. Daryl returned to looking down at her, his hands on either side of her face. 

“Jesus Christ, I thought…I thought…” He breathed, lowering his head. His forehead connected with hers and she curled her fingers around the back of his neck. 

“That’s enough sentiment, help me up” She said, placing her hands on the grass at her sides and attempting to sit up. Daryl slid his arm around her back and the other under her legs and lifted her into his arms. The smell of disintegrating flesh clinging to her skin.

“Hey, Casanova? There’s another one behind you” She warned, spotting a female biter emerge, her lower arm missing on her right side. Daryl turned to face it, placing Mia gently on the floor. Before he could collect his crossbow, Mia whipped his knife from his belt as he passed. Gripping it by the blade, she threw it towards the Walker. A whirring noise echoed through the air before the blade sank noisily into the front of its skull with a splat. 

“You can throw knives now?” Daryl said, picking his crossbow up and shaking his head at her. 

“Actually, no. All the times I’ve tried that, I’ve never actually hit anything. That was a total fluke!” She replied, staring at the knifes handle poking up through the grass. 

Daryl scanned the perimeter, checking there were no others heading their way before walking back to Mia, who was pulling grass and twigs from her hair. She looked up, seeing him approaching and noticing he was not slowing as he got closer. He dropped his Crossbow on the grass and threw his arms around her. His body hit hers so hard she felt the air expel from her lungs. Surprised by the brazen gesture, her arms stayed by her sides, lifted slightly. 

“Daryl?” She whispered. 

He held her in the tight embrace for around a minute until finally releasing her and picking up his weapon. She remained in her spot as he passed her and walked back to the cottage. 

 

Under the trash bag shower, Mia scrubbed and scrubbed at her skin as she tried to remove the smell of the Walker. It’s deteriorated state and disgusting odour had convinced her that it had come from some kind of swamp. She stepped out, dried herself off and dressed in her camo pants and a black spaghetti strap top. 

Daryl smoked on the porch, calming down after almost seeing Mia get bitten. His heart had jumped into his throat when he saw her struggling. Usually more than able to fight her way out of most situations, the shock of seeing her almost meet her demise had him shaken. He had needed to feel her against him once the coast was clear, if anything to confirm that she was still there, still alive and breathing. 

She sat next to him and said nothing for a while. Taking in the bright, sunny day and the quiet surroundings, hardly able to believe that around half an hour before, she had almost been killed. Wanting to be closer to him, she moved up and turned her body to face him, stretching one leg out behind him and bending the other one in front of her. 

“Thank you” She said. “For saving my life.” 

She leaned in to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. He looked out at the yard and exhaled smoke in little, puffy ‘O’ shapes. 

“Don’t be stupid.” He mumbled. 

They sat in silence again, Mia feeling over the stitching around the wings on the back of his vest. 

“Just…” He started. Mia raised her eyebrows. 

“…Just don’t do that again.”

She shuffled closer to him and slid her arm around his back, pulling him to her. His position remained the same but she felt him relax and she lay her head on his shoulder. 

“Not something I want to repeat, I promise you that.” She sighed. 

 

In the days that followed, the crops started to grow. Small, green leaves touched above the surface and opened in the sun light. Mia tended to them religiously, watering them and making use of the various fertilisers that were stocked in the bunker. Three more Walkers had entered the clearing and Daryl had dispatched them quickly, making sure Mia got nowhere near them. 

Daryl had become quiet. He stayed close to her, watching and admiring her but keeping conversations short. Not wanting to hassle him, she accepted it and let him come to her when he was ready. 

During the nights, he would envelope her in his arms, kissing her head and drifting off after smelling her hair and listening to her breathe. Only to wake her in the middle of the night with a frantic need to be inside her, clinging to her, his lips and tongue tasting her skin, his hands roaming her body and running through her hair. He would make her heart sing and her orgasms explode with the moaning noises he made as he came and even as the world rotted around them, Mia was certain she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. 

A week had passed and Daryl and Mia sat in the living room having just finished a meal that had actually been cooked in the oven. She had missed being able to cook proper food, she missed her house in Alexandria, but there was not a chance in hell she would swap being where she was, with Daryl. 

Mia lay on the couch, her legs across Daryl’s lap. His fingers gently stroked the skin on her thigh under her skirt, lifting it and glancing underneath.

“Ya all healed up now.” He said. Referring to the cuts she acquired during her journey back to Alexandria after the Sanctuary. 

“Mmm” She murmured, engrossed in a newspaper she had found under the couch. 

His hand pushed her skirt up even further and his thumb brushed the inside of her thigh as he bought his hand back down again. Mia looked up at him over the top of the paper. 

“Whatcha doing there, touchy-feely?” She inquired. 

“Nothin’” he replied sheepishly.

She folded the newspaper and slapped it on the floor before climbing onto him and straddling his lap. She softy rubbed at his face with her nose, kissing his lips lightly as she passed them. Daryl wrapped her in his arms and squeezed her body against his. One of his hands reaching under her top and following her spine to her shoulder blades. 

“You’re not so shy anymore, huh?” She said in between light, feathery kisses. 

“Can’t get enough of ya” He answered. She smiled into their kiss and lifted her head as he moved down to her neck and chest. 

Mia closed her eyes briefly and sighed in pleasure as he bit at the skin on her neck. She opened them again, only to be distracted by something moving in the window. She blinked and squinted at the pink flashing light in the sky as it moved like a shooting star. 

“Flare gun.” She said “Flare gun, Daryl! Flare gun!” She jumped to her feet and he spun around in his seat to see out of the window, his eyes widening at the sight. 

“Shit. They need us” He said, standing up and collecting his crossbow from the coffee table. 

“Stay here” He ordered. A look of confusion flickered across Mia’s face.

“What? No, I’m coming with you.” She said, charging past him and snatching a pair of black pants from the laundry basket. She pulled them on and slid her skirt down over the top. 

“You’re not comin’. Stay here where it’s safe.” He said. He opened the door and stomped out onto the porch. 

“NO!” Mia yelled. “I am not made of fucking glass, Daryl!” 

He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder at her. 

“I’m going with you” She repeated. “Rick said he needed both of us, we’re both able fighters, I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not” He argued. 

“For god sakes Daryl, you’re not my keeper. I do what I like.” She spat. He turned and grabbed her wrist, holding it at shoulder height. She could feel his desperation seeping through his skin, turning into a firm grip around her bones. 

“Ya stayin’ here” He growled. 

She twisted her wrist around and broke free of his grasp, swerving out of the way as he went to grab her again. When he seized her waist and attempted to move her back into the cottage, she worked her arm in between his arm and her body and slid down, away from him and causing him to lose his grip on her. 

“Don’t underestimate me, Daryl. You should know that by now.” She warned. 

“Ya aint goin!” He shouted. “It aint safe! I aint havin ya being put in danger again!” 

“So, you’re just going to keep me inside the house like some hermit?! Like fuck you are!” She tried to march past him in the direction of the bunker, but he clamped an arm around her waist again and lifted her from the ground. Her elbow swiftly shot backwards, cracking him in the ribs and forcing him to drop her. 

She spun back to him in time to see him clutch his side where she had hit him. 

She took a deep breath “I’m sorry, Daryl. But physically trying to stop me won’t work, I’m going.” 

“No, ya aint.” He replied, shooting her a death glare. She took a step back and looked down her nose at him. 

“Why?” She said calmly. 

“God sakes, Mia.” 

“Why, Daryl?” 

“Ya know why!”

“No, I don’t. Tell me why.” 

“…Fuck…” He ran his hand over his face, turning back and forth on the spot. 

“Why, Daryl?” 

“Shit, Mia! Ya really don’t know?! Or ya just want me to spell it out for ya so ya can watch me squirm?”

“What are you talking about?” She questioned. 

“Ya not fuckin goin’ ‘cause I love you too damn much to see anything else bad happen to ya!” He yelled.

 

His voice echoed through the clearing, bouncing off the walls of the cottage and resonating in Mia’s head. His words like a heavy slap to the face. The silence between them was deafening. The two of them stood there motionless and staring at one another. Mia blinked in disbelief, her lips parted like she wanted to say something, but had no idea what. 

Daryl was angry at himself for such a moment of weakness. He knew beyond a doubt that he was completely in love with her, having never felt anything like this in his entire life, but had no intentions to share such an admission with her yet. He didn’t want her to run, to fly away like he expected. He didn’t want to mess anything up, to change it. He had just wanted to protect her and to keep her from meeting any more harm after he almost lost her to the Walker in the yard.   
“W-what did you just say?” She stammered. 

Daryl didn’t answer. Instead, he sighed, turned and walked towards the bunker. Leaving her rooted to the spot, confusion and shock clawing inside of her skin. And all at once, everything fell into place. The constant late-night need for intimacy, the following her around like a shadow, not waking her when there were Walkers in the garden. He was protecting her and it was because he was in love with her. 

Daryl shoved guns into a large bag and felt the rage build up inside him, cursing himself for not being able to keep his mouth shut and potentially ruining everything. He leaned against the metal shelving, resting his head on his forearm and trying to calm his mind when something in him snapped. He seized a tin from a nearby shelf and threw it across the room with an angry yell. It smashed against the wall, the metal buckling and splitting. Red liquid splattered across the wall. Next was a chair, hurled across the room in seconds and hitting a bare wall. A dent appeared in the concrete and dust filtered through the air as the chair clattered to the floor. He stood in the underground room, panting and with his teeth pressed together. 

Mia had gone back to the house to get her boots and a jacket. She now waited next to Daryl’s bike at the side of the cottage, kicking the dirt around on the floor. He emerged from the trees with a large bag, his face flushed and his chest slick with sweat. 

“Are you OK?” She asked. 

“I’m fine” He snapped. “If ya insist on comin’, ya arm yourself and stay close to me. We don’t know what we’re gonna find there.” 

“OK” She agreed obediently as she watched him strap the bag of guns to the back of the bike. She waited patiently and jumped on behind him when he started the engine, her arms holding his waist.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. Noticing the hits going up rapidly on this! *blush*
> 
> So, as I said in the initial notes for this before I changed the work summary, This only loosely follows the storyline of TWD, I've picked certain scenes and changed them and changed the timeline as this is a Daryl Dixon FanFic, not a TWD one. I like changing things up and making it my own :)

“We should go around Alexandria, or at least stop far enough away to avoid the gate in case Negan is there” Daryl shouted back to her as they drove. 

“Rick wouldn’t call us if Negan was there” Mia answered, struggling to make her voice heard above the sound of the Motorcycles engine. 

“Exactly” He said. 

 

The bike cruised along small, winding woodland paths, branches and twigs snapping at Mia’s jacket as they passed. While it was a longer and more awkward route, it was better than sticking to the roads, where they could easily be seen by outposts and sentries from the Sanctuary. 

Daryl swerved the bike to the left onto a wider path as Mia spotted something in the distance. She tried to focus her eyes through the trees as they passed, the vehicle juddering beneath them and making her vision blur even more. 

“What is that?” She said, prodding Daryl in his side.

He slowed the bike and gradually rolled to a stop, the two of them craned their necks to see around the trees. Mia hopped off the back of the bike and crept through the undergrowth, keeping her body low and her knife up, Daryl close behind her. She came to a stop behind some thick bushes and smiled as she realised what she was looking at in a small clearing in the woods. 

“Thank you, Uncle Sam.” She grinned, looking back at Daryl. “Military trucks. If they haven’t already been hit, these could be a goldmine!”

“Yeah? Then we’ll come back. We don’t have time right now. We gotta get to Alexandria.” He attempted to pull her back where they had come from by her arm, but she shrugged him off, picked up a large rock and threw it at the closest armoured vehicle. A loud clang rang out all around them and she waited in the evening light for any signs of life, or not.

“God sakes! Gonna have all the Walkers in a ten-mile radius makin there way here!” Daryl complained. 

“Oh, stop being such a fuckin’ killjoy, we’ll be in and out in seconds.” She rolled her eyes at him. 

When nothing happened after a few minutes, Mia quickly slinked out from the trees, moving around the vehicles rapidly and as quietly as possible. Daryl reluctantly followed her, breaking off and rounding a truck with a large pipe attached to the back of it. He flicked the small lever on the top of the pipe and flicked it back when he realised that Gasoline was flowing from the pipe. His heart rate started to increase at the find.

“Mia” He whispered, glancing around him. 

“What?” She replied, sticking her head of the window of a jeep in front of him. 

“It’s fuel truck” He stated. 

“Ha! No fucking way! Get in the cab and find some damn keys!” She squealed. 

Daryl shook his head at her bossy nature when scavenging, something he both loved and hated. While her skills were sharp and honed, her egotistical side shined at times like this more than ever. 

He climbed into the truck and flipped the sun visor, finding the key. He slipped it into the ignition and jumped out of the cab. As he scoped out the next vehicle, he circled it slowly, checking underneath for Walkers. A loud snarl stopped him in his tracks when he neared the far side of the truck. It grew louder as he approached. He lifted his crossbow to his eyes and followed the sound, finding half a male walker with its guts smeared on the grass as if it had been run over, its legs were at least five feet away from the rest of its body. Around it’s neck was what looked like a large weapon on a strap. He aimed and squeezed the trigger, eliminating the Walker. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder, collected the bolt from it’s head and tugged the weapon from the Walkers grasp, over it’s head and hauled it up into his arms. 

“Nothing like seeing a good-looking guy with a big weapon in his hands” 

Daryl glanced up to see Mia leaning against the truck, twirling her hair around her fingers with one hand and winking at him, a huge smile on her face.

“Tell me that thing has some juice in it.” 

Daryl nodded “it’s loaded” 

“It’s also Russian. Whoever deserted this little fun fair wasn’t Military”

Daryl scoffed and shot her a look. 

“What?” She said. 

“Ya just, ya know everythin' about everythin', don’t ya?” He prodded.

“Well…no. I just looked around. That RPG has Russian words on the side of it. The corpses peppered around this place…” She made a sweeping gesture with her hand “…They’re all dressed in civilian clothes. It’s obvious they stole all this shit from someone else. I’m not trying to be a smart-ass, I’m just observant. Now, quit your bitchin’ and let’s get this truck to Alexandria.”

Daryl turned and walked back to the fuel truck. He placed the RPG in the passenger seat and jumped back down to the grass.

“Keys in the ignition” He said to Mia, keeping his eyes averted from her gaze. “When we get there, I’ll leave the bike with you and scope the place out, figure out what’s goin on. We’ll park out of sight, keep quiet and wait for me.” He went to walk off when Mia caught hold of his wrist

“Daryl, I know we can’t right now but we need to talk about earlier at some point” She said. 

Instead of responding to her, he sighed deeply and looked at the floor, pulling his wrist from her hand and walking back to his bike. 

 

She hit the brakes as Daryl swerved his bike into the cover of some abandoned buildings. The Fuel truck struggled over the bumpy landscape before coming to an abrupt stop under a tree. Daryl dismounted his bike and ran to the truck. Mia leaned out of the window. 

“Wait here, I’ll be back” He ordered. She shrugged and lit a cigarette, placing her boots on the dashboard as she exhaled a long stream of smoke. She watched As Daryl made his way up the road, under the cover of the treeline, his angel wings on his vest disappearing out of sight after a few minutes. 

She thought back to what he said to her on the porch. The words swirling around in her mind and eating away at her anxiousness to bring the subject up, to have it out with him and lay their cards on the table. But nothing was that easy with Daryl. She could tell he was angry about the whole thing, knowing he hadn’t intended to say it. What she really wanted to know, was if he meant it or if it had absent-mindedly slipped out. 

She could see herself loving him. It was something that she had accepted almost immediately. However, she hadn’t allowed herself to acknowledge such a profound feeling yet. She knew she was falling for him, but was still clawing at the sides, attempting to pull herself back up and retain her level-headed stance on things. She believed that love clouded the mind, compromised everything. People did crazy things for love and all she had wanted was to survive. The two things, love and survival, were not a logical paring in her mind. But now, she had to admit, she was unsure if survival was even worth it without love. 

Daryl returned after around ten minutes. Mia shot up in her seat when she saw him sprinting down the road to her. 

“Start it up!” he yelled, his arm waving in her direction “They’ve been overrun, Walkers everywhere!”

She leaned out of the truck’s window as he got to his bike. 

“Get in, we’ll come back for the bike!”

Daryl unhooked the bag of guns from his bike and jumped into the passenger seat with the RPG. Mia cranked the ignition on and hit the accelerator. The truck lunged forwards and shot down the street towards Alexandria. 

 

She brought the truck to a stop outside the gate and stuck her hand into the bag of guns on Daryl’s lap. She pulled out an assault rifle and wolf Whistled.

“Come to mama!” She beamed “Get in the driver’s seat” she said to Daryl as she slinked out of the cab and went to the back of the vehicle. 

The chorus of Walker moans lay heavy on the atmosphere, it was all she could hear as she climbed the back of the truck to the top, walking along the roof and scaling the hinges of the gate. As she climbed, she could hear yelling and screaming from inside. 

 

Spencer was surrounded. Hundreds of Walkers stumbled towards him in a huge rotting mass of terror, his handgun had run out of ammo and he was now armed only with his knife, dispatching any corpses that lunged at him. His arms were tiring and he fought for breath as they closed in on him, his back now pressed against the perimeter wall.

“Shit…shit” He gasped as he struck another soft skull with his knife. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, accepting that he would soon be with his mother, who he imagined was waiting for him on the other side. 

Gunshot’s interrupted his imaginings as bullets ripped through the bodies of the biters surrounding him, brain matter and flesh splattering all over him and a red mist descending like rain all around him. He gaped at the bodies falling before him like bowling pins. The shots stopped and he glanced around him in disbelief at how close he had come to his own demise. 

“Hey, asshole!” Called a voice from above. He turned to see Mia straddling the gate post, a large gun pointed in his direction. 

“Be a lamb and open the gate, will you? We’ve been knocking but I guess you guys are kinda busy” 

Spencer gawped at her in shock, remaining completely still. 

“Um…right about now would be a good time, Spencer.” She quipped before jumping down on the other side. 

 

Daryl rolled the truck through the gate as Mia steadied herself on the top, the scene before her filling her with dread. Thousands of Walkers milled around the town, some entering houses, some eating the already befallen townsfolk. In the distance, she could see a large section of the wall had fallen and more and more were pouring through the gap, attracted by the screaming. People were running about in a panic, attempting to scale the outside of their houses in an attempt to get away. In the middle of the main street, she could make out Rick and his son, Carl. They were draped in sheets covered in Walker guts. Smart, Mia thought. Until you catch some kind of lethal disease and die blind and in pain. They had to get them out of there. 

The truck moved under her and turned around, backing slowly to the pond at the side of town. She struggled to hold on as it mounted the curb and bumped along the grass. Keeping her eye on Rick and Carl, who were moving slowly towards the church, she considered mowing down the Walkers around them with her rifle but decided against it, risking hitting them accidentally and attracting more threats with the noise. 

The truck stopped and Mia climbed down to the ground to see Daryl open up the pipe at the back. Gasoline pumped into the pond as Walkers emerged from all sides. Daryl and Mia threw their knives into skulls in a bizarre dance of death, twisting and dodging around each other. 

“What are you doing?” Mia managed to ask in between kills. 

“Drawin’ em near” was all he said as he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to him, kicking a Walker away that was about to chow down on her neck. He quickly put a bolt in it’s face and reached over to switch off the pump.

“Get in the truck” He yelled but Mia was already stabbing her way through the crowd towards the nearest house. 

“MIA!” He yelled after her. She didn’t turn around, still shoving and murdering everything in sight. 

 

Her clothes now caked in gore and blood, she reached the stairs to the house and threw the door open. She knew this was a crazy idea and was likely to get her killed. But she had seen a child’s panicked face at the window on the side of the house and wasn’t about to leave him there. More Walkers rambled out from inside, crowding the porch, their hands reaching for her. She rolled her eyes and aimed the rifle at them, pulling the trigger. Their bodies exploded from the impact and the noise rang out across the town as she slowly turned, embedding deathly bullets in everything that moved. 

 

Daryl watched as Mia took out as many Walkers as possible from the porch she was standing on, wondering what the hell she was doing. But he was torn, he wanted to go after her, to make sure she was safe, but his plan had to go ahead. He tried to think, constantly having to save himself by killing Walkers all around him. Then he saw Rick and Carl, slowly edging their way through the crowd of dead people.

 

Mia climbed over the bodies on the stairs inside the house, more and more Walkers seemed to emerge from every corner and her knife was now starting to slip out of her grasp due to the flesh and blood that caked the handle. She paused to slice a patch of fabric from the shirt of one of the bodies in the stairwell and wrapped it around the handle, allowing her to proceed. 

When she reached the top, she could hear crying coming from one of the rooms. 

“Hello?” She called out “Where are you? I can keep you safe” 

No response, just more sobbing. She slowly edged to the first bedroom, her knife held out above her head. As she peered around the corner into the room, she spotted a small boy around 5 years old cowering in the corner. His large brown eyes blurry with tears and his round cheeks flushed red in horror. 

“It’s OK, I got you” She said, diving into the room and swooping him up with one arm. More growling and thumping was coming from the stairs as she frantically searched for somewhere to hide them. Running out onto the hallway, she looked up and saw the attic hatch. Her heart was now hammering in her chest as it occurred to her that she did not have time to find a way to open it. She inhaled and tried to steady her mind, all the while listening to the approaching biters on the stairs, slowed only by the amount of bodies they had to crawl over. 

“OK, you gotta help me out here.” She said to the small, terrified child in her arms. 

“Arms up!” C’mon, put em up!” He slowly lifted his arms, his tiny little fingers splaying in the air. She re-holstered her knife, discarding the rag and hoisted him up to the hatch, cursing the house and its lack of an attic ladder. 

“Push it up, you can do it!” She encouraged “C’mon, Give it a big push!” She heaved him up as his hands hit the plasterboard, it juddered in it’s frame and she felt a spark of pure fear run through her. 

“One more time, we got this! Push!” She held up up as high as she could and the board moved to one side as his fingers hit it. 

“Get those little pincers in that gap, buddy! Push it away, to the side.” The child did as instructed, much to Mia’s amazement, but the fact that he was now wailing loudly was not lost on her. She spun around, grabbing a box from the corner and stepping onto it. She raised the child up through the gap and pushed him to safety into the attic hatch as a Walker emerged at the top of the stairs. Her head snapped round as she heard a strangled mewl erupt from it’s throat. She threw her gun up before jumping up and grabbing the frame of the hatch, using all her strength, she cried out as she pulled herself up into the hole, her arms burning and her hands cut to ribbons by the sharp edges of the frame. Her boots were just out of reach when the Walker swiped at them, missing them by centimetres. 

 

Daryl pulled the trigger and watched as the entire pond lit up like a bonfire, heat from the explosion washed over him as he stumbled back on top of the truck. All the Walkers he could see slowly turned and began migrating towards the light like moths to a flame and he couldn’t help but look down at the RPG and huff in appreciation. His plan had worked, the threat was moving away from the houses and the remaining living people among them. 

 

Some time later, the Walkers in the pond had met their watery demise and the remaining wanderers were taken out by Daryl and the other survivors. Hundreds of bodies were scattered across the streets and on the porches of the houses. People were quiet, shell shocked at the realisation that a lot of the town had been destroyed, along with some of the population. 

Daryl appeared between two houses with his crossbow poised and ready when he saw Rick and Carl stood in the street, in a group with some of the others. Rick caught sight of him and began to walk towards him. He pulled him into an embrace, patting him on the back.

“Ya alright?” Daryl asked as he broke away. 

“I’m OK. We’re OK.” He said, gesturing to Carl. “We lost a few though.” 

Daryl looked past him at the group. He could see Spencer, Father Gabriel, Rosita, Sasha, Aaron and Abraham along with some others he didn’t know too well and their children. 

“I thought they were weak. That they couldn’t fight. But they’re not. I looked around and I saw them all, I saw them all fighting.” Rick said, almost to himself as he wiped his brow with the back of his arm.

“Where’s Carol?” Daryl asked. Rick’s expression changed and he shifted his stance. 

“I thought you knew. She left. Before you came back and told me about the bunker”

“Wha?” Daryl said, his eyes narrowing. “Where’d she go?” 

Rick hesitated before answering “I don’t know. Morgan’s gone too. It was her choice to leave, Daryl. If she wanted us to go after her, she would have said where she was going.”

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip and sighed angrily. Why had she just left without telling him? It was the second time the group had been without her. Carol was his best friend and the thought of her just getting up and leaving filled him with sadness. 

“Daryl, you did this. We’re all alive because of you.” Rick said, placing his hand on his shoulder. 

“Naw, It was both of us…” He trailed off “Is Mia with ya?”

Rick shook his head. “Saw her come in with you on top of the truck. But I’ve not seen her in the last few hours, no.” 

Fear shot through his veins as he wiped his face with both of his hands. 

“Shit. She-she ran off” He stammered.

 

Mia could feel the little boys heart racing through his back as she ran her hand up and down his T-shirt in an attempt to soothe him. 

“S’ok little man.” She cooed.

It had gone quiet below them in the house. They had waited for hours, Mia rocking the boy back and forth in her arms and singing to him. She didn’t know any nursey rhymes or pop songs, so she just chose the least harsh rock song she could think of, ending up with ‘November Rain’ By Guns and Roses. Her attempt had seemed to work, he eventually stopped crying. 

She crawled towards the Attic hatch and quietly lifted the board out of the hole, lowering her head down and scanning the landing below. It was all clear. 

“C’mon” She beckoned the child over to her but he shook his head, a look of pure fear etched on his innocent face. 

“They’re gone. It’s OK. Even if they come back…” She thought for a moment “…I have some really cool skills” She reached out a hand to him. He slowly stepped towards her. 

“My boyfriend, he just thinks I’m being a smarty pants. But I can fight, I can get into locked rooms without a key, I can set really cool traps and I have this big gun” She said, pointing to the rifle which lay next to her. “So, you don’t have to worry about a thing because you’re with me.”

“Like a superhero?” The little boy murmured, turning a finger around and around in the hem of his T-shirt. Mia’s heart almost broke into two pieces. 

“Yeah” She giggled “Like a superhero.”

Daryl could feel his emotions rising like a tidal wave in his chest, ready to overflow at any moment as he stood at the side of the group, who had all said that none of them had seen Mia since she arrived on top of the truck.  
“Daryl” Rick said. He lifted his gaze from the floor and saw Rick nod towards something behind him. He turned and his breath hitched in his throat. There she was. 

Mia placed the little boy on the sidewalk and held his hand as she walked towards the group. The child stared up at her in awe as he ran along beside her. Farther Gabriel broke away from the group and walked towards them, taking the child in his arms as Mia stopped where she was and dropped her rifle on the floor. 

"I don't know who he belongs to. I tried to calm him down. I sang to him. He stopped crying but I didn't know if it was because he ran out of tears, or because he just wanted me to stop signing" She rambled. 

"You did good, Mia, we'll take care of him." Gabriel assured her. 

She stumbled backwards, exhaustion creeping into her bones as the gravity of what had happened hit her. 

 

Daryl ran at her, relief and happiness fuelling him as he flung his arms around her. He enveloped her and squeezed her tightly. Mia tried to hug him back, but he was soon pulling back slightly and grabbing urgently at her face. Her eyes flickered briefly to the small gathering of people, watching them from a few feet away. None of them had ever seen Daryl react like this with anyone, let alone her. 

His thumbs ran over her freckles as he looked into her eyes and kissed her with need, feeling like he had to keep a hold of her or she would vanish again. His lips crashed to hers and his rough beard scratched her face. When he broke their kiss, he rested his forehead on hers and put an arm around her waist, keeping her close to him. 

“Ya ran off” He whispered. 

“I saw him in the window, Daryl. I had to go and help him. He was all alone” She breathed. 

“I thought ya got bit or…. Shit, Mia. I thought ya were gone” He gasped, kissing her again, his hand still clamped around the side of her face. 

The faces behind them gawped in amazement at such a brazen reaction from Daryl, the quiet, angry one who rarely showed any affection to anyone. Glances were exchanged and Rick smiled knowingly at the scene before him. 

Mia smiled into their kiss before stepping back and looking at the group, a mixture of pride and bashfulness welling in her chest. 

Father Gabriel stepped forward with the boy. 

“Apologies for my interrupting. But he has something to say.” He said quietly, placing a hand on the boy’s back. 

“Is he your boyfriend?” He squeaked, looking down and kicking at the dust with his sneaker. 

“Um, Yeah, I guess he is.” She replied

“She’s not a smartass, she’s a superhero” He said shyly to Daryl. 

Mia giggled and bit her lip nervously and looked at Daryl, who knelt in front of the child. 

“Y’know what? Don’t tell her, but I know she’s a superhero. I only tell her she’s a smartass because she gets a big head about it and she can’t get out of any doors.” 

A small giggle made everyone grin as Daryl got up and took Mia’s hand. She didn’t know who the child belonged to, having assumed everyone in his house had been turned. But she was happy in the knowledge that he would at least be given a chance now and would be looked after by those that were left. 

“Hey, Kid?” Mia asked. His big brown eyes peered up at her. 

“Don’t say ‘ass’ OK? It’s a bad word”.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter update. Thank you all for reading, for the Kudos and the comments <3

The clean-up took two days and the wall repair took even longer. Everyone rallied together and helped out. The pile of Walker bodies was huge, they were taken outside of the walls to avoid any disease spreading. The town had lost a lot of people and Father Gabriel seemed to be working all hours of the day, being on hand for the grieving families. Mia had slept in her house, on the floor due to the lack of a mattress. Daryl curled around her and held her close to him for the whole night, barely leaving her side during the daytime too. Rick had allowed them to stay the night to help out on the agreement that they return to the cottage in the afternoon, to avoid Negan turning up and finding them.

The two of them sat on the curb outside her house, taking a break from hauling bodies into a truck by the gate. Sweat coated Mia’s tank top and her hair stuck to the sides of her face. She sat cross legged on the sidewalk and pulled her gloves off, slapping them on the floor. She sipped from a water bottle. 

“Carol left” Daryl said from beside her, his head low and his hair obscuring his face. 

“What? Why?” She asked, noticing how sad he looked. 

“I dunno. Rick said she just left. Morgan too.”

Mia threaded her arm around his and took his hand, leaning into him briefly. 

“I’m sorry, Daryl. I know she means a lot to you”. 

He nodded, still looking at the floor. 

“Y’know, we could try and find her. I’m a scavenger, I’m pretty good at finding something I’m looking for.” She offered

He looked up at her and squeezed her hand. 

“It’s Carol, she aint gonna be found if it aint in her plans. If she left like Rick says she did, she must’a had her reasons”. 

“OK” Mia said, “You just let me know if you change your mind.” 

 

A shrill laugh rang out across the street and Mia looked up to see the child she had rescued the night before playing with Carl on the porch of their home. His bright blonde hair glistening in the sun as he caught a frisbee Carl threw to him. Mia smiled at the scene. The innocence of the whole thing like a shining beacon among the horror and despair of what had happened in the community around him. 

“Was brave” Daryl said “What ya did. Rescuing the kid.”

“I couldn’t leave him there. He looked so scared in that window”

“I get it” He let go of her hand and placed his arm around her back, pulling her close to him and resting his chin on her head. 

“Daryl” She said, lifting her head and looking him in the eye. “You kissed me in front of everybody. Now that was brave” She giggled. 

“Kinda shocked myself with that one too” He admitted, raising his eyebrows.

“I asked Rick to keep it quiet. I didn’t think you’d want everyone to know” She admitted.

“Well, thanks but they know now. ‘Sides, I aint got nothin’ to be ashamed of, my girl is hot. It’s you they’ll think has lost ya damn mind.”  
Mia sat up and glared at him. 

“Stop it, Daryl.” She said. “Only thing that makes me lose my mind is you saying dumb shit like that.”

She huffed and stood up, collecting her gloves and passing him the bottle of water. 

“I got one more house to clear. Throw me the keys and I’ll go get your bike.”

He gave her a puzzled look as he squinted up at her after sipping from the bottle, fastening the lid and placing it on the curb. The sun beams created a halo like glow around her.

“Ain’t nobody touches that bike ‘cept me”

She leaned seductively down to him, placing on hand on his knee and a finger under his chin, lifting his head up. Her top dipping at the front, exposing her chest to him.

“I’ll make it worth your while” 

“Yeah? How ya gonna do that?” He enquired, getting to his feet and standing in front of her. She brushed hair from his face that was being blown by a soft breeze. 

“There must be something you want?” She said, slowly licking her lips. 

Daryl thought for a moment before checking there wasn’t anyone standing within earshot of them. He shifted his stance and ran the back of his index finger down her arm. 

“Kinda like that Anthrax shirt you got… n’ nothin else” He mumbled awkwardly. 

She caught his eye as he stepped back, giving him a knowing look. 

“Fine. Just don’t scratch it” He grumbled, reaching into his jeans pocket for the key and handing it to her. She smiled and went to walk away before he caught her wrist. She watched him as he chewed on his bottom lip and she knew there was a comment on the way that he found difficult to say, so waited patiently. 

“Ya scared the shit out of me, goin after that boy.” He admitted. 

“What happened to ‘I aint scared of nothing’?” she said, quoting and mocking him. She giggled and found that he was not returning her smiles. Feeling slightly guilty and observing the seriousness on his face as he lowered it. She took his hand and squeezed it gently. 

“I can’t lose ya, not now” He uttered almost inaudibly and Mia strained to hear him. 

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere” She soothed, slipping her arm around his waist and pulling him close to her. She kissed him lightly and ran her fingers through his hair. “I’m your girl. I’m here. OK?” 

 

As she walked past the church on her way to the burial ground, Father Gabriel stepped out of the main door into the sunshine.

“Ah, Mia.” He said, smiling broadly. “Just the person I wanted to see”

She stopped in her tracks and shot him a wary look. 

“Why? Message from the late JC? Or some other priest waffle?” She asked. 

He smirked and moved closer to her, turning to look out onto the street. His gaze directed at something intentionally. She followed his line of sight to the small boy playing catch with Carl. 

“His name is Jacob” said Gabriel quietly, letting her watch the scene before her.

“Did you have children Mia?” He asked. 

She scoffed loudly, looking at him like he was crazy. 

“If you count a one-eyed cat and a narcotics addiction, yeah.” 

Gabriel continued to smile at her, refusing to let her blunt comment break his composure. 

“I can’t have kids. Nor do I want them. I’m not a very maternal person. I’m growing crops for the community at the moment but before this I couldn’t keep a damn house plant alive let alone a child.” She explained eventually. 

“I see. My apologies. It’s just, his parents and sister are…well, they’re gone. He’s an orphan and he still thinks that you’re a superhero. He’s only four years old. At the moment we can distract him from the truth, but eventually, he will need someone permanently”

Her expression changed to one of shock when it occurred to her that he meant she should look after him. 

“You want me to take him?! Oh no. No, no. He’ll likely burst into flames in my care. Isn’t there something in the good book that says emotional blackmail is a sin or something?” She questioned, her eyes narrowing at him. 

“Nope” He chirped, his smile widening. Another sigh escaped her as she paced about in frustration. Glancing up at Jacob across the street every now and then. Coming to decision. She stopped and looked at Gabriel. 

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Father. He’s super cute, but I’m kinda busy hauling bodies and hiding out in the woods. But you seem to be doing fine with him. Nice wholesome place like the church…” She slapped him on the back playfully “…Enjoy being a foster dad”. 

Gabriel shook his head in disbelief as she wandered off, seemingly without a care in the world. He had seen her risk her life to save the boy, so something in him told him she hadn’t made the decision lightly, but he hoped she would change her mind. 

 

Mia waited as Spencer opened the gate for her. She could smell the strong stench of the Walker bodies being piled onto a truck, even being a good few feet away. She wrinkled her nose and jingled Daryl’s bike key in her hand. 

Spencer watched her walk through, sheepishly looking down at the ground when she passed and glanced at him. With the gate behind her, she wandered out into the bright sunshine, her gun strapped over her shoulder. 

“Mia”, Spencer’s voice from behind her followed by light footsteps. She stopped and turned. He was stood a couple of feet away, awkwardly fumbling his hands together. 

“I uh, I wanted to thank you. You saved my life” He stammered. 

“I just needed you to open the gate” she spat, the words sounding harsher than she’d intended. 

“Look, I’m sorry I’ve been such a dick to you. I’m not asking for forgiveness, I just wanted you to know that I’m grateful, for you saving my life and for what you did for my mother.” 

She studied his face as he waited for her reply. She could tell he was sincere, that much was obvious to her. It must have taken a lot for him to follow her out and not only apologise but to thank her too. 

“No problem” she said calmly, turning to walk away when something stopped her. “Don’t back yourself into corners. When they’re coming at you, run into the open, so you can duck out of the way easily. Push them over if you need to buy some time and never give up until you’re a hundred percent sure you’re totally fucked.”

She held his gaze for a moment, he nodded politely at her and she began to walk in the opposite direction. 

“Hey” He called after her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. 

“Daryl…he’s a lucky guy” 

Mia couldn’t help but smile at the thought that the whole of Alexandria now knew about them and had seen him kiss her in the street. She had to admit, she was appreciative of Spencer’s comment. 

“I’m the lucky one” She said, turning and heading down the street towards Daryl’s Bike. 

 

The sun beat down on her skin, creating a comfortable warmth that meant she didn’t need a jacket. She swung her arms out as if she were marching as she headed down the street, signing loudly to herself. The gun hanging over her back tapped lightly against her backside as she walked. She had at least a two mile walk to where Daryl had parked the bike at the side of a house, under the cover of some trees so it couldn’t be seen immediately from the road. She stopped briefly to fasten the laces on one of her boots. 

“I’ve been looking for you” 

The metal on her skin was cold as the gun was pressed to the base of her skull. The hairs on her arms stood up as she realised who the voice belonged to. She froze, rooted to the spot as a million ideas raced through her mind. How was she going to get out of this? She had to try, had to do something. Giving in wasn’t an option. Her heart began to pump faster as she tried to steady her now rapid breathing. 

“Drop the piece” 

She slowly lifted her arm and pulled the Rifles strap over her head, letting the large gun clatter to the floor. Mia glanced around her at the abandoned houses of what once was a wealthy area. Burnt out cars lined the trash-filled streets. The once religiously tended front yards now overgrown and wild. She wished she was back in Alexandria, before any of this happened. Before Negan had showed up. But there she stood, with a gun to her head when she least expected it. She felt a stab of anger inside her for letting her guard down, for getting comfortable. 

“The knife”

She removed the knife holster and passed it over her shoulder, lifting her head up to the blue sky and sighing. She hadn’t yet reached the bike, but still held the key in her hand.

“Carrying anything else?” 

She shook her head before looking down at the floor, at her dirty military boots and bloodstained clothes, still retaining the stains from the chaos of the night before. A hand grabbed her arm harshly and spun her around. A look of pure irritation plastered across her face.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, my hits are rapidly increasing on this so here's another Chapter. Two in one night!
> 
> Please excuse any errors, some slip through the net even after I've read through it hundreds of times! I correct as I notice them once posted.

“You really piss me off, y’know that, Dwight?” She spat. 

He glared back at her, his thin, blonde hair blowing in the breeze and revealing the mangled landscape of the horrendous burn that covered one side of his face. He slugged her gun over his shoulder and shrugged. 

“Can guarantee you’re not as pissed off as Negan was when he realised you were gone.”

“My heart breaks for him” she snapped sarcastically. 

“My life’s about to get a whole lot better now I’ve caught you” He smirked, pulling some rope from his pocket. Mia noticed the rope had been fashioned into a handcuff knot and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she loved when people underestimated her. 

“Hands behind your back” He ordered. 

She complied and he moved around her, slipping the rope over her hands and tugging it tight, his gun still trained on her. 

“Move. We got a long walk” 

He shoved her into the treeline and she hissed with disapproval as he shoved the gun against the back of her neck. Desperately trying to keep her composure and not act with haste and Impulsivity, she trudged forwards and tried to focus on what she could get out of this situation. She could bail right now, tackle him, shoot him and leave. She already knew she could remove her hands from the rope with minimal effort. But if she stayed, she could try and appeal to Dwight’s human side, thus gaining a valuable ally. Dwight appeared at her side, finger on the trigger and seemingly ready to shoot if she decided to make a run for it. 

“Why are we walking? Did you not bring the Brady bunch with you?” She snipped. 

“Been out looking for you for days. Bike ran out of gas a ways back.” He replied. 

“Doesn’t answer my second question” She corrected. 

“You’re not in a position to ask questions” He stated. 

A moment of quiet passed between them as Mia fought with the urge to whip her hands out of the rope and strangle the life out of him. 

 

Daryl climbed to the top of the gate’s tower. He chewed on his lip as he paced back and forth at the top, the road before him completely quiet and devoid of any life, even Walkers. It was now beginning to get dark and he hadn’t seen Mia return with his bike. A rising sense of unease bubbled in his chest, something was wrong.  
“Hey, you” He called down to Spencer, who was still on gate duty. “How long ago did Mia leave?” 

Spencer brought a hand up to shield his eyes from the last of the sun’s rays that were beaming at him from behind Daryl’s silhouette. He squinted as he thought for a moment. 

“Has to be around three hours ago now” He said. 

Daryl began to hear his heartbeat in his head as it dawned on him that she should have been back a long time ago. He climbed back down from the tower and approached Spencer. 

“You were the last one to see her.” He growled. “What ya say to her?”

Spencer looked at Daryl with a calm confidence. 

“I thanked her for saving my life” He answered. 

Daryl studied his face for a moment, eventually accepting his answer and running a hand over his face. 

“She should have been back hours ago” He said to himself, turning his back to Spencer and charging up the main street in search of Rick. 

 

She was starving, having eaten a bowl of cereal at 6am and having nothing since. The sun was setting and among her thoughts of Steaks and Chinese Chicken Noodles was Daryl and how worried he probably was by now. Dwight had barely said a word and had chosen to ignore any questions she shot his way. Pulling his jaw tight and remaining focused instead. They had stopped a few times to catch their breath and Mia had tried to ensure she left visible boot prints in the mud. She had also quietly carved slanted ‘A’s into the bark with Daryl’s Bike key on the trees they rested against. Hoping that if he was tracking her, that he would remember the conversation they’d had about her ‘Anthrax’ T-shirt and know she was trying to lead him to her. 

Eventually, they had come across a dilapidated wooden shack and Dwight motioned for her to go inside. 

“Have to stay here the night, we’ll carry on at first light” He mumbled as he sat on the floor in the corner. Mia sat cross legged opposite him, on a stained blanket with her arms still awkwardly positioned behind her. 

“Got any thoughts about feeding me at any point? Or are you planning on serving Negan a pile of bones for a reward?” She hissed 

He removed a backpack from his back and rummaged around inside, throwing a cereal bar at her. She raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a look that asked if he was actually serious about her feeding herself with her hands tied behind her back. He huffed in frustration and got to his feet, snatching the bar from the floor and placing it in her lap. He then leaned behind her and loosened the rope, allowing her to use her hands. Standing beside her, she looked up at him as he pointed to the food in her lap, holding the rope in one hand and the gun in the other. Mia glared at him as she tore open the wrapper and chewed angrily, finishing the bar in seconds and wishing she had another one. 

“How’s Sherry?” She asked, her eyes still fixed on him and boiling with rage. 

“We’re not talking about her. We’re not talking about anything” he scolded as he leaned behind her again, roughly forcing her arms behind her and fastening the rope again. 

“I think we should talk about her” Mia said. “I think we should talk about how your lord and big shot saviour made her his wife.” 

“Shut your mouth” he snapped, sitting back down opposite her. 

“We should also talk about how she was his favourite before I swanned in. What was it he called her? Oh, that’s right. ‘super-hot’.” She teased. Dwight’s face hardened and his shoulders tensed. 

“Then, Mr. Saviour goes and gives you the iron.” She continued “And yet, you still work for him and you’re not allowed to talk to your super-hot wife. Ever. Except, you have, haven’t you? You have been talking to her recently. Meeting her in the stairwell to smoke with her.”

His eyes changed as he listened to her speak. 

“Remember when she told you that you’d hear someone tap on the handrail below if anyone was about to find you? That was me, asshole. I was your fucking lookout.” 

He stared at her, obviously shocked by her admission and searching for a reply in his mind. But Mia wasn’t done. 

“Wanna know how I got out?” Sherry helped me. She was with Negan the night I escaped. In his room. She made him choose her that night so I was free to escape” 

Dwight closed his eyes momentarily, the information serving as a painful reminder that his wife now belonged to someone else. 

“He burned your face, he fucks your wife and he has you running around like a fucking errand boy. Where are your god damn balls, Dwight?!” She yelled. 

Her words were like a slap to his face. He rose to his feet and lowered the gun. She breathed a sigh of relief at that, but knew she still had work to do. 

 

They were losing the light and fast. Rick and Daryl travelled along the main road that Mia would have been on when she left to retrieve the bike. Daryl inspected every inch of the road desperately tracking and searching for her. They both held flashlights and Rick held his Python at the ready as they quietly moved along the road. 

“Here” Daryl said, stopping abruptly and kneeling to examine the grass at the side of the road. “Boot prints”

Rick leaned towards him and glanced over his shoulder, seeing nothing but patchy grass. Daryl stood again and dived into the trees, Rick following behind. 

“It’s getting Dark, Daryl. We’re not going to be able to see much out here” Rick called out in a hushed whisper, attempting to keep a low profile and not attract the attention of any passing Walkers. 

“I can see just fine” Daryl replied. 

“Maybe we should pick this back up in the morning, if we get killed, nobody’s gonna find her” Rick offered, pushing twigs and branches out of his path as he struggled to keep up with Daryl. “She’s capable, we know she can defend herself”

Daryl stopped and spun around, his face displaying a mixture of desperation and anger. 

“Yeah, she can look after herself, she’s a badass” He said “But so is Michonne, ya tellin’ me you’d wait ‘til mornin’ if it was her?”  
Rick considered this comparison to his own relationship for a moment before nodding and placing a hand on Daryl’s shoulder. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry. We’ll keep looking”. He said. 

 

Mia had pins and needles in her legs and feet from sitting in an awkward position. Dwight had lowered the gun but hadn’t removed her hands from the rope. He was now wandering slowly back and forth across the creaking, wooden floorboards. Mulling over everything Mia had said to him. But she wasn’t quite done. 

“What do you think is going to happen when you take me back there? You think he’ll roll out the red carpet and give you some grand reception? You think he’ll stop fucking your wife and give her back to you? You think things will be any different? Because they won’t, and if you think they will be you’re even more of an idiot than I thought”

Dwight glanced up at her and caught her eye, his face etched with confusion. Mia could see he was wrestling with what she was saying to him, she was making a lot of sense, but the truth is sometimes hard to bear and the right thing to do, isn’t always the easiest. 

“You don’t have to live like that anymore. In a place where people have to work for points or work the wall. Where you’re forced to torture people into complying. Where women are used as objects and the iron is a form of punishment. He’s not a leader, Dwight, he’s a psychopath. A murderer.” She explained. “You don’t have to live like that. I’d rather be alone out here than live in that hellhole”

Dwight said nothing, instead leaning his head back against the wall and thinking about Mia’s words. 

“I could have killed you and left you in the woods by now” Mia said quietly, watching his body language closely as he shifted and looked at her. 

“Fancy yourself as some kind of escape artist, huh?” He smirked. 

Mia slipped her hands free of the rope behind her back and slowly brought her hands around to her front, placing them on her thighs. Dwight’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as it dawned on him that she was telling the truth

“I could have got away a long time ago, Dwight. I just chose not to. I know you don’t want to live at the Sanctuary. I know you’re sick of being Negan’s bitch. So, don’t be. Don’t go back. Oh, and if you ever tie someone up again, choose a different knot.” 

 

Daryl was confident he had picked up Mia’s trail, following the line of very deliberate boot prints in the dirt and snapped branches. His steeley determination fuelled by his fear of losing the one person who had ever showed him any affection and managed to make him feel like he deserved to be happy. He had been apart from her for a matter of hours, but already missed her. 

“What is it?” Rick asked after a while, noticing Daryl looking at something on a tree. 

“She’s smart, she’s been leavin’ clues. Look, right there” He said, pointing to a small, slanted ‘A’ that had been harshly carved into the bark. 

“Why an ‘A’?” Rick questioned. 

Daryl hesitated before answering, not wanting to disclose the truth about the letters significance. 

“’S a band she likes” He grunted. 

The two men continued through the woods, working quietly and swiftly and following Mia’s clues.

 

Rustling outside of the shack caught Dwight’s attention and he got to his feet, his gun raised towards the window. Mia had now almost convinced him that taking her back to the Sanctuary would gain him absolutely nothing. Eventually he had stopped answering her and just listened as she made her case. She was now stood up, leaning against the wall, unphased by the noises outside. He looked over his shoulder at her, wondering why she wasn’t paying any mind to the potential threat outside of the shack. 

“Cavalry’s here” She grinned. 

The flimsy, wooden door to the shack flew open and Rick inched over the threshold, glancing from Mia to Dwight and back again, his gun pointed in Dwight’s Direction, who returned the gesture with his own weapon. The light from the flashlight in his hands illuminating the room. 

Mia beamed at Rick. “Evening Sherriff”. 

Her heart jumped when she saw Daryl appear behind him, his eyes darting around the room and stopping on Dwight. 

“You” He growled as he launched him self into the room, crossbow raised. Dwight backed against the wall as Mia lunged forwards, positioning herself in between the two enemies and at the dangerous end of Daryl’s crossbow. 

“Daryl, stop” She said, catching his anger filled eyes and taking a deep breath. Daryl attempted to skirt around her, trying to grab at Dwight with an outstretched hand. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back with all her might, looking over his shoulder at Rick, who was stood by the door watching the scene unfold and wondering why Mia was stopping Daryl. 

“Rick? A little help?” She pleaded, now bobbing back and forth, trying to stay in front of Daryl as he jumped and dived around her. 

“I’m not stopping him. If he wants to kill him I’m going to let him” He shrugged. 

Mia sighed and fought against Daryl who was now huffing loudly, his face twisted with rage. He was a lot stronger than her and she accepted she was going to have to use another tactic. She put a hand up to the side of his face, his skin burning hot underneath it. 

“Hey, look at me” She whispered. “Daryl, Look at me”

He finally stood still, his shoulders heaving with his laboured breathing and his eyes searching her face. 

“I need you stop. I’m handling this.” She cooed, moving closer to him. She gently rubbed her nose on his and brushed his cheeks with her lips. “OK? Can you stop, please? For me?” Her words travelled on subtle breaths, almost inaudible to Rick and Dwight and he held her gaze for what seemed like forever, before he finally grunted and sighed. 

“Ya alright?” He asked “He hurt ya?” he nuzzled into her hand on his face. 

“I’m fine” She said. 

Daryl stepped back, his eyes not leaving Mia. Relieved he had found her and now not wanting to stop looking at her in case she vanished again. But his hatred for Dwight was strong. Day after day being kept in that stone box, music blaring and eating nothing but dog food sandwiches. He understood why Dwight did what he did, he didn’t have a choice, but anyone that worked for Negan and had a hand in his physical and psychological torture, deserved to die in his mind. He trusted that Mia had a good reason for keeping Dwight alive, and that was all he needed to exercise some self-control. He backed up and stood beside Rick, who still had his gun in his hand, but had lowered it to his side. Daryl did the same with his crossbow. In the dimly lit room, Mia turned to Dwight. 

“In case you hadn’t already figured it out, I do know Daryl Dixon and I am from Alexandria.” She said. “I am responsible for Daryl’s escape...and so is your wife” 

Dwight’s eyes darted around the room and he smoothed a hand over his mouth and chin as he took in the information. 

“I offered to take her with me, get her out and bring her back to Alexandria with me. She refused. Told me she didn’t want to live outside those walls without you. What do you have, Dwight? If you don’t have Sherry, what do you have?” 

Rick had realised what Mia was doing and leaned slightly towards Daryl. 

“You were right, she is smart” He said under his breath. 

Dwight sighed loudly and shrugged. “Nothing. I have nothing without her.”

“Work with Rick. That way, you have a fighting chance. A chance to be together. If you stay with Negan, it’s just more of the same until one of you gets the bat” She stated. 

Dwight nodded.

“I know. I just never had a way out before. We tried to escape once, but they found us, brought us back and burned my face” he mumbled.

Mia felt a rush of relief flood through her. Mission accomplished. She turned to Rick. 

“What do you think?” She asked

Rick stepped forward and looked between Mia and Dwight. 

“He’ll have to prove he can be trusted.” He said. “His first test is returning and not telling Negan who you really are. Think you can manage that, Dwight?” He asked. 

“Yeah, of course” he answered. 

Rick narrowed his gaze at Dwight “You screw this up, Negan finds out, or you betray us…Daryl gets to torture and kill you. You understand?”

“You have my word” Dwight replied. 

Mia approached him, passing Rick “Give me one more minute with him” She said as she passed. Rick stepped back. Mia stopped in front of him, so close she could smell the sweat on his skin. She locked eyes with him and kept her voice quiet enough so the others couldn’t hear. This was between her and Dwight.

“I won’t ever forget what you did to Daryl. I watched it day after day. You tortured somebody I care about and you’re damn lucky I’ve not let him near you. I know the only person you care about is Sherry. So, keep that in mind, because if you do betray us…I will tie your pretty little wife to a tree and make you watch as the biters tear the flesh from her bones.” She hissed. Dwight could see Daryl flinch from across the room, Rick’s hand shot out to stop him from intervening. She leaned closer, her lips now level with his ear. 

“Play fair and play honest, and you’ll live. See that angry Redneck behind me? He’s mine. If you so much as look at him the wrong way, I will you show you just how much I have in common with Negan” 

She slowly backed up, watching the wary look in his eyes. He nodded again as she turned and moved across the room. 

“You two have some arrangements to make” She said to Rick, motioning behind her. 

 

Daryl followed Mia outside the shack. He dropped his crossbow to the floor, grabbed her arm and pulled her back into his embrace, his arms clamped around her tightly. He buried his head in the crook of her shoulder and inhaled deeply. Mia was taken aback when she heard what sounded like a small whimper from him. 

“Daryl?” She croaked, her ability to speak impaired by the tight hold her had around her body. 

“Fuck” He said, his face pushed into her neck muffling the sound of the word. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was that drove him to need to feel her so close to him so urgently, but whatever it was, it was overwhelming. She tried to pull back, to loosen his grip on her. He allowed her some movement and she stepped back slightly, he rested his head on her shoulder and she kissed the side of his face. Letting him have his moment, she remained where she was and eventually he lifted his head, blinking rapidly and looking sadly into her eyes. She wasn’t sure, but in the badly lit clearing with only the light from Ricks flashlight shining on them through the windows, she thought she may have seen tears in his eyes. 

“Daryl, I’m OK” She assured him. 

“Ya gotta stop…” he breathed “Ya gotta stop doin this to me”

Mia let out a subtle giggle and felt butterflies in her stomach. “I’m sorry” She whispered, leaning into him and kissing him slowly. “I’m sorry” She said again as she kissed him again and again, his hands reaching for her, scrabbling at her clothes, running over the curves of her body. Feeling the situation escalating and remembering where they were, Mia gradually broke away from him, smiling as he stepped closer the more she backed up. 

“Hold that thought” She said, placing a finger on his lips. 

She saw Rick exit the shack behind Daryl and holster his gun. She broke free of Daryl’s grasp and walked towards him. 

“I think we got something here. He’s already volunteered a lot of information.” He said “You two should head back to the cottage. I’ll organise your replacements from Hilltop tomorrow. This is…a significant step forward, Mia. Thank you” He said, handing her rifle and knife over. “You certainly like to live life on the edge.”

“Ya got that right” Daryl commented from behind her. 

Rick looked at Mia and furrowed his brow. She could almost see the cogs turning in his head. 

“Did you-did you plan this?” He asked. Mia gave him a mischievous grin. 

“Not exactly.” She said “When he turned up, pointing a gun to my head, I was so fucking mad there was no way I wasn’t going to get something out of it. I knew I could convince him.” 

Rick huffed in amusement and shook his head, smiling at her.

“What you said to him in there, about Killing his wife if he betrayed us. You mean that?” 

Mia screwed her face up in bemusement. 

“Oh, hell no! Neither me or Daryl would be standing here if it wasn’t for her. She’s cool. I wouldn’t hurt her. It was the only thing I knew would keep him on the straight and narrow. I know, I got a little dark in there.” She explained.

Rick smiled and placed his hands on his hips. 

“Go on, get out of here”


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Chapter of fluffy, fluffiness. :) <3

When they finally returned to the cottage. They ate a decent meal before Daryl checked the fence and perimeter while Mia took a shower and washed the blood from her hair. She figured it had to be around the early hours of the morning, her eyes were heavy and her bones ached. She stood at the bedroom window, looking down at Daryl smoking a cigarette in the yard. He slowly wandered back and forth across the grass, his head low. Big plumes of smoke rose in the air behind him in the light of the moon. She could spend hours watching him, even when he wasn’t doing anything in particular, he always proved to be difficult for her to ignore. She smiled at the sight of him and remembered; they had a pretty big conversation to have. She tapped on the glass with her knuckle and waited for Daryl’s eyes to find her in the window. When he did, she blew him a kiss. He flicked the end of his cigarette out into the darkness and headed into the house.

Daryl heard the light tapping and noticed her in the bedroom window. With the dim light from a candle in the background of the room, an orange glow framed her body. She was wearing a black night dress with thin straps and lined with lace. Her damp hair pulled over one of her shoulders. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her and he still couldn’t believe she was his. Sometimes he still felt as if it wasn’t all real, like it was some reoccurring dream that left his mind reeling. 

 

Mia padded down the stairs in time to see Daryl close the door behind him. He looked up at her as she reached the bottom. Her pale skin almost glowing in the candle lit cottage. She went into the living room and sat on the couch, her legs tucked underneath her. Daryl sheepishly hovered around the doorway. 

“You know we have to have a conversation, right?” She said softly. 

He bit his lip and nodded, his hair falling in front of his face. He approached the couch and sat next to her, slightly turned so he could see her. He placed a hand on her bare knee, needing to feel some kind of physical connection to her. She looked down at his big, calloused hand on her skin. A gesture of affection and protection, with a hint of ownership. 

“I dunno what to say. Ya know I aint gonna be great at this” He said. 

“I know” She said, taking a deep breath. “What you said to me in the yard that day. It seemed like you maybe didn’t mean to say it, because you were real angry and quiet afterwards and I-I guess I just I need to know if you meant it” 

Daryl sighed and fidgeted in his seat, removing his hand from her knee and awkwardly playing with a rip in his jeans. 

“Ya can’t tell?” He murmured. 

“I-I guess not, I don’t know” She admitted. 

Feeling the familiar rising sense of unease that he usually got when having to talk about his feelings, he wished everything was just obvious to her so he wouldn’t have to do this. He wasn’t used to having to be so honest and open. She wore her heart on her sleeve and embraced her emotions, he hid everything and pushed his feelings away. Since being with her, he had been forced to be more transparent with her, forced to communicate and he didn’t always see it as a bad thing, but it was something that still made him anxious and a conversation of this magnitude was already proving to be taxing. 

“Ya been scarin’ the hell out of me over the last few days. Had me damn near losin my shit thinkin’ I’d lost ya. First with the Walker in the yard, then at Alexandria, then with Dwight.”

He paused and swallowed hard, Mia remained still, anchored to the spot with anticipation. 

“That Walker in the Yard, one that almost chomped on ya neck? I knew after that.” He said. 

Her heart ached for him when she noticed his hands were shaking slightly. A subtle, barely noticeable tremble, but it was there. He was highly uncomfortable and if she was honest, she didn’t blame him. This was a tough conversation for her and she was usually more than capable of discussing her feelings. 

“You knew?” She pressed. 

His eyes slowly moved up to hers, nervously flickering away and then back again. 

“Look, I aint ever loved anybody so I dunno what it’s ‘sposed to feel like...”

He trailed off and Mia once again, remained afraid to breathe in case he never finished his sentence. 

“…But you, ya make up the other half of me. The good half…”

Another long pause, Mia wasn’t sure if she was meant to respond yet. 

“…And ya like, so important to me and I dunno when that even started happening. It’s like when the season changes and the leaves fall. Before ya know it, the whole lawn is covered.”

He didn’t say anymore and Mia was starkly aware that he still hadn’t told her if he’d meant what he said or not. But she was starting to see that he may have his own way of making sure she knew the answer. 

“I get that” Was all she could say, unsure of how she should proceed. The two of them sat there in silence. Mia thought it felt like hours, her heart beat sounding louder than ever and she was sure Daryl might be able to hear it too. 

“I’ll annoy ya, piss ya off, say a bunch of shit I don’t mean, make ya feel like crap n then wanna take it all back…” He finally said. 

“...But ya everything to me and that aint changin’. So yeah, I meant it.”

Mia exhaled and felt herself melt at his admission. She slipped her hand into his and held onto it, feeling his sweaty palm.

“Ya need to know somethin’ else too” He added. Mia felt a stab of panic, what else could there possible be to tell her? 

“I heard ya. The other night. What ya said, when ya thought I was sleepin’”.

Her mouth dropped open into an ‘O’ as she remembered exactly what it was that she’d said. Unsure how to handle this one, she moved about in her seat, and glanced into her lap. 

“Um” She said. 

“Never thought anybody would say that ‘bout me” he uttered. “Kinda nice to hear”

Come on, she thought to herself, you can do this. Daryl had been a lot better at this than she ever thought he would be. She considered the least she could do was to just be brave and follow his example. Never having felt this emotionally vulnerable before, she felt as though she was walking a tightrope and could slip at any moment. It occurred to her that she hadn’t actually been in this situation before, her past encounter with a love confession involving a bottle of vodka and too many drugs. 

“I meant what I said too.” She started, her voice sounding loud all of a sudden. “I am falling for you. I tried to stop myself, tried to slow it all down, but it’s hard. Love makes people crazy, Daryl. It’s made me crazy before. I’m scared to feel that again.” 

Another heavy silence fell around them as Daryl thought about what she had said. His hand was still clasped in hers and he studied her thin, pale fingers, intertwined with his. He chewed his bottom lip before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes briefly, summoning up the courage to say the words that were already on the tip of his tongue. Words that meant so much to him and that he never thought he would say in his entire life. 

“I love you” 

It was so quiet, barely a whisper and Mia just about heard it. But there it was, the three little words that had the potential to change everything. Warmth and excitement welled in her chest and she squeezed his hand tightly. He glanced up at her through his hair, checking her reaction and hoping it wasn’t one of apprehension. 

She was smiling at him. Behind her eyes, she was having to work hard to contain the intense and overwhelming feeling of happiness. She was proud of him, it wasn’t an easy thing for Daryl to disclose something so completely personal. Still squeezing his hand, she let out a small huff of a giggle, coming back down to earth when she tried to think of an appropriate thing to say back. 

“I aint ever gonna say that just to hear it back, alright?” Daryl said, giving her a pass from having to respond. “Out in the yard that day, I didn’t mean to say it like I did. I was just trying to tell ya how much I cared about ya. It just came out. I wasn’t gonna say it for a while, ‘case I scared ya off. Didn’t make it any less true though” 

She sighed and closed her eyes, wondering if she really was any good for this amazing human being. She didn’t want to disappoint him, to let him down. To allow him to fall in love only to regret it down the line. She opened her eyes and began to speak.

“Daryl. I’m um, I’m conflicted, damaged. I over react to shit and I’m self-destructive when I’m sad. I swear too much, I smoke too much. Rick’s right, I live life on the edge because I need to feel alive, like I’ve got a purpose. I’m not as confident as you think and I have this constant internal battle with what I want to do and what my mind is telling me I can’t do. You always felt like you weren’t good enough for me, but the real issue here, is that I could let you down. I could not be enough. I could be a disappointment. I’ve only ever known a life with either violence, the powerful pull of addiction or the need to survive alone. I’ve never done this properly, none of it. So really, I’m as clueless as you. I know that when I love, I do it with everything I have. I just need to learn who I need to become to be the love you deserve.” 

Daryl had a look of confusion on his face, his eyebrow raised and his mouth open. 

“Ya think any of that matters to me? Hell, most of what ya just said applies to me too. Ya aint never gonna be a disappointment or let me down. That’s bullshit. The thought of being away from ya makes me crazy. Find myself having to remember this is all real and not some crazy ass dream sometimes. Ya don’t need to be anythin’ but yourself”

Mia let go of his hand and hooked her finger underneath his leather vest at his shoulder, gently tugging it, telling him that she wanted him closer. He shuffled nearer to her and she flattened her hand on the top of his arm, slowly moving it down, across his bicep, enjoying the feel of one of her favourite things about him. Wrapping her fingers around his forearm, she drew him closer. He leaned over her, his face close to hers as she uncurled her legs, stretching them out under him. 

He kicked off his boots and climbed between her legs, lowering himself onto her as he threaded his fingers into her still damp and wavy hair with one hand. The other gliding up her thigh and under her nightdress. He stopped when he reached her panties and looked down into her vulnerable and slightly glassy eyes. 

“Beautiful the way ya are” He breathed, tickling his thumb over the freckles on her nose. Her fingers plucked his belt buckle open and slid under his shirt as her body began to tingle with her need for him. 

 

Daryl slowly opened his eyes, for a few seconds he struggled to remember where he was. It was still dark outside and there was now only one candle left lighting the room. His arm was numb, tucked underneath Mia’s body on the couch. After hours of being entwined together, their bodies expressing the otherwise inexpressible, they had fallen asleep under a blanket. It had been another evening of firsts for Daryl. His body had been pressed against hers in a glorious mess of tangled limbs, sweat and sweet moans. He had never come so hard, never felt his body tremble like that before or thought it possible to sense her wanting him more than she already did. He had never seen anything as breath taking as her arching her body to him, he had never told anyone he loved them before and he had never had such a night in all his years.  
His neck felt sore and he propped himself up and ran a hand across his skin, wincing slightly at the pain.

_Her tongue danced over the skin of his neck, the salty taste of him causing her to want to breathe him in too. She inhaled against him and felt him tilt his head to the side, allowing her better access. She licked and kissed below his ear, gently sucking, leaving small marks as she worked. Daryl growled at the sensation, initially unaware of how much he liked the addictive mix of pleasure and pain. Mia latched onto him, gripping his hair at the back of his head and wrapping her legs around his hips._

_“You like that?” She purred in his ear, moving down to his neck again and testing him with her teeth._

_“Fuck, yeah”_

He looked down at her as she slept, her hair lay across her chest and neck in soft waves, her flawless, pale skin glowing in the candle light. Still naked under the blanket, he felt himself harden again at the sight of her. At the memories of her biting at his neck and the distinct, lust filled wave of pain that came with it. Pulses of pleasure shot through him as he smiled down at her, plucking a strand of hair from across her face and running his fingers across the outline of her body, over the curve of her hip. 

_He slid her panties down her legs and slowly explored her from her toes up. Starting with the tattoo on her calf, he smoothed over the intricate picture with his fingertips, kissing the inside of her calf, feather light kisses that made her tense and moan. Reaching her thighs, the tip of his tongue journeyed along her skin, setting off millions of tiny fireworks in her nerve endings. He glanced up at her and caught her eye, her full lips parted, glistening in the dim light and she had never been more beautiful._

She groaned and stretched, opening her eyes to see him along side her. He hadn’t noticed her wake, admiring the shape of her through the blanket taking up all his attention. 

“Hey” she whispered. He looked back at her, his mouth curling into a smile. 

“We should go to bed” She said, wriggling in her spot and becoming more conscious of the fact that they both had very little room. 

“Yeah” he agreed, leaning down and scooping her nightdress from the floor. He placed it on the blanket and felt the skin on his neck with his fingers again. 

“Oh god” Mia gasped. “I’m so sorry” 

Three large bruises had emerged under his ear, further to the front of his neck and by his collarbone. He laughed and shook his head. 

“Can’t exactly let you take all the blame” He said, sitting up further. Putting her hand on his bicep, she fanned her thumb back and forth. 

“Think we found you a favourite thing” She said. 

“I got a few favourite things now” He admitted, awkwardly glancing at her. 

“Yeah?” She questioned. 

“Yeah” He leaned to her, kissing her lips gently. Staying where he was, he rubbed his nose on hers.

“These freckles”. 

He then picked up a strand of hair and wound it around his fingers. 

“Ya long, black hair. Some other things, didn’t know hiccies was one of ‘em”, guess I do now” 

She grinned and squeezed her fingers around his arm. 

“This is one of mine” She breathed. 

“Ma arm?’ He asked. 

“Yeah, both of them. You’ve got real sexy arms” 

He huffed bashfully “Thanks”

Mia could see the major progress he’d made. In a matter of weeks, he had started to open up more and more, resulting in him finally admitting he was in love with her. He was communicating more than he ever had and was even accepting compliments instead of ignoring them. She couldn’t take all the credit, but she was proud to see that the changes in him had seemingly made him happier.  
He shuffled down to the end of the couch and looked over the arm to the floor, revealing his deeply scarred back and a tattoo of two demons on his right shoulder blade. Finding his jeans, he slid them on, leaving his belt hanging open at the front. He stood and looked down at her for a moment before tucking the blanket in around her and placing one hand under her legs and the other behind her back. He lifted her into the air and she draped her arms around him as he turned and carried her towards the stairs. 

 

In the morning, Daryl hopped down the porch steps to see Mia watering the now rapidly growing crops. She was singing loudly as usual and was dressed in her camo pants, sneakers and a black, Jack Daniels vest. Daryl puffed smoke from his nose as he approached, glancing behind him at the yard. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the lawn was littered with Walker bodies. 

“Mia?” He called out to her. She tilted the watering can back up and held her hand up to her eyes, shielding them from the sun. 

“Yeah?” She answered. 

“What the hell happened? Walkers all over the place” His voiced lowered as he neared her, not wanting to seem as though he was yelling at her but he had to admit he was tiring of her risky decision making. 

“Correction- ‘dead’ Walkers all over the place.” She grinned. “I was waiting for you to wake up so I could get your help with moving them” 

Daryl shot her a look “What the hell? Why didn’t ya wake me when they showed up?”

She set the watering can on the ground and held her hands up, palms facing him. 

“OK, don’t be mad.” She started. 

“I got a feeling I’m gonna be mad” He said

“You looked so peaceful, I felt bad about waking you. So, I borrowed your crossbow and got some practice in” She raised her eyebrows and gave him a thin smile.  
His eyes narrowed and he stood motionless, glaring at her. 

“Aaand you’re mad.” She sighed

“Naw. Look I aint mad” He said, moving closer to her. “Ya just gotta stop doin’ everythin’ alone.”

“But, I handled it” She protested. 

“Yeah, I aint sayin’ ya can’t. There’s two of us in this thing, right? So aint we ‘sposed to be like a team or somethin’? Ya can’t just go runnin’ head first into danger when ya got someone that gets left behind with all the shit if ya end up dead. It aint just about you no more, it’s about both of us” 

Mia blinked at him as he took another drag of his cigarette. What could be one of the most sensible things he had ever said coming as quite the shock to her usually logical and smart self. He was right and she knew it. She had been alone for so long she was only ever used to looking out for and making decisions for herself. Having another person in her life, especially a person that was now so close to her meant she had to make some adjustments. But Mia was a free spirit and always had been, old habits died hard and changing her mindset was no easy feat. 

“Did you just give me a lecture on what it is to be in a relationship, Daryl Dixon?” She said, raising an eyebrow. 

He grunted and shrugged his shoulders. 

“Hell, I dunno. S’just the way I see it”

“Well, you’re totally right. I’m sorry. It’s just been me for such a long time. You get that, right?”

He nodded and offered her his smoke. She accepted, allowing the smoke to fill her lungs, before being expelled in a huge cloud above her. He stepped even closer to her, lightly touching her elbow with his fingers and levelling himself with her ear. 

“I had some amazin’ nights with you so far. But last night…”

He shifted his weight to the other foot before continuing. 

“…Its was uh-pretty incredible. Just wanted to tell ya” 

Her eyes connected with his as he swooped down to collect the watering can. 

“It sure was” She agreed.

“Im’ma go fill this up” he said, turning away and walking back around the crops patch to the well. 

Mia felt herself laughing. “I am loving this change in you!” She called after him, throwing her arms in the air “It’s like you’ve been re-born!” She joked. 

He swished his hand at her, dismissing her comments 

“Ya still annoyin’” he replied.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello All! 
> 
> When I write Mia, i have a very specific image of her in my mind. I was wondering, does anyone picture a certain person when they read about her? Are they a celebrity? 
> 
> Also, where are my readers from? I'm in the UK, London :)
> 
> I realise this chapter is very dialogue heavy. I love me some Daryl/Mia Dialogue though.
> 
> **Sexually explicit** (WOO!)

By the afternoon, they had cleared the yard of bodies and two people from Hilltop had arrived and been shown around by Daryl. Jesus had accompanied them on their trip. Mia sat with him on the grass in the sun. She pulled out a bag of peanuts from her pocket and began throwing them in the air and trying to catch them in her mouth.

“I think you’ll like the Hilltop” Jesus said, watching her missing every single peanut and having to fish them out from the grass in order to eat them. 

“Hmm?” She murmered. 

“It’s self-sufficient enough, like this place will be soon. It’s has animals”

Mia stopped what she was doing and looked at him. 

“What kinda animals?” She asked. 

“Cows, Chickens”

She gasped “Cows? I love cows!”

“You’ll keep her away from the cows if ya got any sense. She’s likely to walk right up to one and take a big ol’ chunk outta it. Her favourite food is steak.” Daryl quipped as he passed behind them, their replacements following him into the yard as he lead them to the fence.  
Mia rolled her eyes and plucked another nut from the packet. 

“Sorry, I’m being rude.” She said “Peanut?” she offered him the pack and he declined gracefully. 

“So, your persistence paid off” Jesus said, looking at her sideways as she gave him a confused look. 

“First time we met, I asked if you and Daryl were together. You said you were working on it and now I can see that you’ve been doing some working on his neck” 

She looked over at Daryl and tilted her head. She could see the bites from all the way across the yard. He didn’t look like he’d been mauled by a bear this time. Instead, he looked like he’d lost a fight with Dracula. 

“Yeah, I didn’t realise just how noticeable they are” She confessed, throwing another nut into her mouth. They both sat quietly for a moment, watching Daryl.

Jesus nodded in approval “Ten points for effort though” 

Mia smiled and shot him a knowing glance “Thanks, Man.” 

 

Jesus had brought a car in order to drive them both back to Hilltop. The journey was hot and uncomfortable and Mia sat in the back, her arm hanging out of the window in the breeze. Stuffed in all around her was luggage, most of it hers. Daryl proved to be as useless at general chit chat as she had anticipated, answering Jesus’ attempts at small talk with one word or a grunt here and there. When they arrived, the heavy wooden gate was pulled open from either side, revealing an almost medieval sight. Points all set up in front of a large Mansion for crops and Blacksmithing. Mia marvelled at the sight, at the seemingly content inhabitants milling about the community, the guards with their spears, tridents and bows and arrows, and at the far side, trailers. 

“Time to go old school Daryl.” She mused quietly from the back seat as the car rolled up to the mansion. 

“Things have adapted here, but the Saviours took all the guns, so adjustments were made and new weapons formed” Jesus explained. “I wouldn’t say the people here are accomplished fighters in the way the both of you are, but they can hold their own. Some training is needed though, maybe that’s something you could both help with”

The car came to a stop and Daryl looked over at the guards and their spears. 

“Hmm” he hummed before opening the door and getting out of the car. 

Mia struggled with the luggage in the backseat, her feet were tangled in something. Openeing the door, she practically fell out of the car. Posters and packs of Cigarettes scattered the floor. Daryl jumped forward to help her, lifting her bag from her lap and steadying her with a hand on her arm. 

“Can’t just travel light” He grumbled at her as she scrabbled around on the floor, picking up her belongings. She gave him a sarcastic grin and began throwing everything back into the car.

“Could be worse. Could have a pair of shoes for every occasion” She said, kneeling down and retrieving a poster that had rolled under the vehicle.

“Occasion?” Daryl asked.

“Yeah” She said, standing up with the poster in one hand and dusting herself off with the other “Gardening shoes, dancing with Walkers in the yard shoes, walking boots, sneakers for um, sneaking, heels for random apocalypse parties that catch the eye of certain angry, crossbow-wielding hotties” 

Daryl just looked at her as she threw the poster into the car and slammed the door. 

“Oh lighten up, Dixon” She jested, planting a quick kiss on his cheek as she made her way past him to Jesus, who watched the sight from the side lines, amused by the relationship that had formed between them, leaving them like a bickering, married couple already. 

Mia stopped in front of the Mansion and looked up. It was an attractive Building, the large, white pillars giving the whole place a regal feel to it and she suspected it had excellent vantage points due to it’s location, height and lack of tree cover. Jesus opened the doors and motioned for them to follow him inside. The tall windows were lined with heavy drapes, a sweeping staircase framed the right side of the entrance hall and it was clean. Not a speck of dust anywhere. 

“It’s called Barrington House” Jesus said “In the 1930s, the family who owned the house gave it to the state and made it into a museum. For years since then, elementary schools around the state would make field trips here”

Mia began to wander, running her fingertip along the surface of the round table in the centre of the hall. Upon examination, she saw no dirt whatsoever. The door to their left opened and Maggie appeared. 

“Hey!” Mia exclaimed, rushing to her and flinging her arms around her. “You got a good deal here, this is fancy as fuck!” She giggled, pulling away and grinning. 

“Yeah, it’s not so bad” Maggie agreed. "It's good to see you" her southern accent seeming stronger than ever due the amount of time that had passed since Mia had last heard it. She looked over at Daryl, who stood sheepishly by the door, his eyes flickering from Maggie, to Jesus and then back to the floor again. Mia wondered why he seemed so uncomfortable.

“Hi Daryl” Maggie said, only to receive a small grunt and a nod. 

Mia’s eyes narrowed at him as she tried to remember when they had last seen each other. Maggie hadn’t been seen at Alexandria again after the night Daryl and Mia were taken by the Saviours. Then she suddenly realised. He hadn’t seen her since Glenn was killed by Negan. Rumours had floated around The Sanctuary when Mia had arrived about what had happened that night. She had heard all the gory details from overhearing Negan’s soldiers discussing it on more than one occasion. When Daryl had stood up to defend Rosita, he’d punched Negan in the face, resulting in Glenn being killed as a punishment. Mia suspected that Negan may well have killed Glenn as well as Abraham anyway, his twisted view on life and death meaning that Daryl had probably just given him an excuse, if he needed one or not. 

“Ooh, how’s the foetus?!” Mia asked before realising that her choice of words was not always the best. “Wow…the scientific term was a bad move. I mean the baby, how’s the baby?”

Daryl sighed and shook his head behind her. 

“Baby is all good, thank you” She laughed

”Come in” She walked back into a room lined with bookshelves that also contained a large desk and some ornate, uncomfortable looking chairs. Daryl and Mia followed, with Jesus in tow, who quietly closed the door behind them. 

“Foetus?” Daryl whispered to Mia as she passed 

“Shut up” She replied.

“Welcome” Maggie started, sitting on the edge of the desk and watching as Mia pulled books from the shelves and scrutinized the titles. Daryl stood awkwardly by the door, not moving an inch. 

“Gregory is actually the leader of this colony, but he’s proved to be a less than effective one. He’s tolerated, for now, you’ll meet him soon enough. Rick told me everything. How you guys escaped from the Sanctuary and about the bunker. I hope the replacements will do as good a job as you have.” She paused for a second to smile at Daryl, who’s gaze quickly moved to Mia. 

“You’ll have to keep under the radar, we still get visits from The Saviours just like Alexandria. I’m the same. Negan doesn’t even know I’m alive and I’d like to keep it that way for now” 

Jesus stepped forward and stood next to Maggie. “Like Alexandria, we have a deal with The Saviours. Half of everything. So, the bunker and the cottage are a great resource. It’s important they don’t find it. “

“Believe me, they won’t” Mia mumbled as her attention finally left the books and moved to the chairs in the middle of the room. She sat down on one of them, wriggling about and screwing her face up. Not able to get comfortable, she stood again. 

“We don’t have a lot of living space here, but we have a room upstairs that’s free. It only has one bed, so I can have someone find an extra mattress for you” Maggie said, looking from Daryl to Mia.

“That won’t be necessary” Mia said, looking over at Daryl briefly who was glaring at Maggie through his hair “One room is fine and we only need one bed”

She was met with a slightly confused look before the penny dropped in Maggie’s mind. 

“Oh! I see. Well, that’s fine then” She grinned, shooting Jesus a look. He shrugged and smiled at her. The marks on Daryl’s neck had not gone unnoticed by her, but she had assumed they had been a result of something else if Daryl’s moody, solitary and quiet nature was anything to go by.

“I’ll show you to your room” Maggie said, motioning to the door. 

 

Their bedroom was large enough to fit all of Mia’s junk in it. It possessed a large, wooden framed bed with a high mattress, a couple of chairs and a dresser which housed a large mirror that faced the bed. Daryl had gone downstairs to empty the car with Jesus, while Maggie and Mia watched from the window above. 

“Have to say, I never thought anyone would be able to tame the likes of Daryl Dixon” Maggie mused as she watched him examining a shotgun he’d pulled from the trunk of the car. 

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. I had to be patient and persistent. If I made any sudden moves, it was like he’d run off into the woods like a buck being hunted. But I figured he liked me when he damn near beat Spencer to death in the street, he just didn’t have a clue what to do about it.” Mia explained.

Maggie glanced at her and smiled widely “That isn’t surprising. He's the sensitive brother, more sense than Merle had too. He's a man of few words.”

“Aint that the truth”. Mia agreed.

The two women stood in a comfortable silence for a while, scanning the view from the house and watching the people go about their daily jobs.

“Glenn was like that at first too. I had to spell it out” Maggie finally said.

Mia took a deep breath and turned to face her. 

“I’m not too good at this, but I wanted to say I’m sorry, about Glenn. I can’t imagine how you must feel. If you wanna talk, or drink or swear or something, I’m your girl. But you’re pregnant so…just water for you” 

Maggie let out a small laugh and gently rubbed the top of Mia’s arm. 

“Thank you” 

 

Daryl and Mia strolled around the colony, walking slowly beside one another as the evening began to draw in. Groups had come and gone through the gate returning with various supplies and the sun had dipped below the treelines. The temperature had dropped slightly but there was still a warm breeze and crickets chirped all around the compound. Mia slipped her hand in his, gently leaning her head on his shoulder for a moment as they walked. She could smell some form of meat being cooked and her stomach growled loudly. 

“Are you alright?” She asked him, raising her head and squeezing his hand. 

“I’m fine” He answered quickly, stepping towards a wooden bench and sitting down. She sat next to him, his hand still clasped around hers. She decided not to push him any further. He looked out across the area, noticing Maggie and Jesus sitting outside of a trailer on some wooden steps. 

“Hey” Mia said, gently squeezing his hand. He looked down at her, his hair hanging loosely about his face. Her head was still on his shoulder, but she glanced up at his face, her big eyes catching his attention. 

“I got a crush on you” She joked, winking at him. 

“What are you, 12? ” He said. She was relieved to see him smile finally. “Jeez" He laughed.

A moment of silence passed between them

"Got a crush on you too” He finally said.

 

Maggie and Jesus quietly observed Mia and Daryl on the bench while the food cooked in the trailer behind them. They sat on wooden steps, Maggie leaned against the handrail on the bottom one, while Jesus relaxed at the top. A fire burned in a pit in front of the trailer, casting a dim glow across their surroundings as night crept in. 

“They’re kind of cute” Jesus said. 

Maggie huffed in amusement and tilted her head to one side. Mia had now lifted her head from Daryl’s shoulder and was holding his hair away from his eyes as she kissed him. His fingers were gripped around hers on his knee. 

“Yeah, they are” She agreed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Daryl smile at anybody like that before” 

“It’s nice, to see people happy. I always found it hard getting close to anyone, neighbours, friends, boyfriends” Jesus admitted. Maggie smiled up at him.

“You should try it sometime, even if it doesn’t last” She offered. He nodded, considering the idea before getting to his feet and going into the trailer. 

 

Mia melted into the kiss, his hand squeezing hers tightly and she gripped his bicep with her other hand. He still made her skin tingle and her stomach flip and she couldn’t imagine it ever going away. His beard brushed her skin as he leaned further into her, slipping his tongue between her lips and inhaling sharply. At first, she’d thought he’d be secretive, shy and reluctant to tell others of their relationship, but he had proved her wrong, being brave enough to kiss her in front of everyone now on more than one occasion. She was starting to see that what she expected of Daryl, wasn’t always what she got. 

 

His eyes flickered open slowly, the cracked, old ceiling being the first thing he saw. His hand slid across the sheets, finding the bed empty next to him. He’d managed to grab an hour or so of sleep, finding it difficult to switch off when she wasn’t around. She calmed him, grounded him and his mind wasn’t as busy when she was wrapped around him, murmuring in her sleep and smelling like strawberries. He sighed and lifted his arm above his head, resting it on the pillow.

She turned the handle as quietly as possible, knowing how early it was and hoping that he’d managed to get some sleep. She pushed the door open and peeked around the frame. He was awake, his muscular arm framing his head on the pillow. She admired him silently for as long as she could before the floorboard beneath her feet creaked and blew her cover. 

She shrugged off her black hoodie and removed her knife, which was in a holster attached to her leg. Dropping them to the floor she looked over her shoulder at Daryl, who remained in the same position, glaring at her. 

“Where ya been?” He asked. She sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off her boots, massaging her feet through her socks. 

“Guard duty. My replacement didn’t show up. Well, he did, but four hours late. He forgot. He’s lucky he still has all his limbs. I was pretty mad. I don't think he likes me much. I’m so tired I could sleep for a week” She grumbled.

Daryl responded with a grunt. She unzipped her jeans and pulled them down her legs, discarding them on the floor. She unclipped her bra and whipped it out from the arm of her T-shirt in one fluid motion before laying back on the bed. Her lower back and feet ached as she tried to relax and release the tension in her joints. 

Daryl nudged her shoulder with his foot under the sheets. 

“What are you doing?” She sighed. 

“Try’na get ya attention” He replied. 

Mia turned onto her stomach and slowly crawled up the bed, reaching his chest and allowing herself to drop down onto it. Her face felt good against the warmth of his skin. 

“I’m here. My attention is here, honest. It is.” She said, her voice muffled. He kissed the top of her head, accepting that she was exhausted and wanted to sleep. 

After a few minutes of quiet contentment, Mia eventually lifted her head and looked at him. 

“What’cha wearing under there, Mister?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“See for yaself” he challenged. 

She gave him a seductive smile and kissed his chest before crawling further over him. He moved his hand from over his head and placed it on the small of her back, slowly feeling downwards, over her panties. 

“Might just do that” She breathed

“Thought ya were tired?” He said

“Not so much anymore” She lightly kissed his lips which parted against hers. She opened her own mouth with a gasp at the sudden reaction from him as he tightened his hold on the flesh of her ass and his other hand roamed over her back, holding her tightly, fiercely. His fingers spanned her ribcage, his thumb grazing the underside of one breast and her body burned from the inside out. 

She frantically tugged on the covers, moving them down under her and sliding her legs either side of him, pleased to discover that he wasn’t wearing anything under the sheets after all. He sat up and lifted her T-shirt over her head, feeling her body shake when his tongue met her bare breasts, tasting and sucking at the soft skin. She threaded her fingers into his hair, tugging gently and lifting his lips to hers. His hands caressed her breasts, thumbs tickling over her nipples, causing her to moan into his mouth. Beneath her, she slowly moved her hips back and forth against his cock which pulsed and throbbed under the pressure, making her smile into their kiss. He pulled back slightly, his breath shallow and quick and his eyes filled with desire. Mia noticed a slightly sheepish look on his face.

“Take ya hair down?” He said breathlessly.

She reached up with both hands and began to untie the elastic from her hair as Daryl continued to feel over her chest and stomach. She loved him being so close to her, but it never felt close enough, she could never feel enough of him. She savoured the feverish movement of his lips on her flesh, the slide of his tongue on her nipple. He made her feel wanted and that in turn, made her feel powerful. 

Her hair finally fell about her shoulders and grazed across her back and his fingers went straight to it, gliding through the strands and tracing tingling lines across her skin. He wanted her so badly, his body aching at the thought of being inside her. A hungry growl rose up inside him as he seized the top of her legs and pushed her down, rising his hips at the same time and pressing himself against her. She writhed in his grasp, sliding her hand between them and shifting back slightly to allow herself access to him. He jolted as she wrapped her hand around his erection, tightening her grasp just enough to make him gasp as she started to move her hand up and down, smoothing her thumb over the head of his cock as she worked. He enveloped her in his big, muscular arms and flipped her onto her back, his hand finding her panties and desperately yanking them away. 

Her breath hitched in her throat and fire shot through her veins as he pushed two fingers inside her, she fought to concentrate on what her own hand was doing, still working away on his cock. He kissed and nibbled on her neck, occasionally allowing himself a peek down at her body with his fingers hidden in her pussy. Deciding he couldn’t wait anymore, he removed his hand and whispered in her ear. 

“Stop. I gotta have ya. Now.” 

Anticipation boiled in her chest as she took her hand away from him and pulled his neck to her lips, sucking and biting on his skin but being careful not to leave more noticeable marks. 

Daryl used a finger to brush over her clit as he pushed inside of her, sending shockwaves through her mind, her toes tingled and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She dragged her nails across his back and cried out as his full length entered her. He stopped, now all the way in, filling her and struggling not to give in too soon. 

“Oh god” He heard her murmur as he pulled back and thrust into her again, this time faster, with more urgency. His hand cradled the side of her face and her eyes locked with his as she smiled up at him. He began to find his rhythm and Mia tensed her muscles around him as he pushed into her, unable to stop himself from moaning loudly. She relished hearing him express how good it felt, his grunts and moans exciting her more. She kissed him roughly and placed her hand between their bodies, the back of her fingers pushing against his stomach. 

Daryl realised she was asking him to stop with this gesture. For a moment, he worried it was something he had done. She sat up, moved to the other end of the bed and got on all fours, looking back at him, she brought two fingers up to her face, in front of her eyes, then with the same hand, pointed at the large mirror opposite them. Daryl knew then that it wasn’t anything he had done, she just wanted to give them a full view of their activities. 

She sat up with her back to him as he drew his arm around her, one hand lightly snaking down to her clit as he nuzzled into her neck, marvelling at the glorious sight of her curves wrapped in his embrace in the mirror.

She leaned forwards and placed her hands on the bed as he entered her from behind. He made a hissing sound as he inhaled with his teeth clenched, trying to keep control of himself. His pace quickened, fingers taking a hold of her hair and tilting her head back. His eyes met hers in the mirror as he fucked her harder and then harder still until she thought she may explode. He licked his lips at the dirty, determined look on her pretty face and felt the pressure building in him, in every limb, every corner of his mind and every nerve ending. She gripped the sheets, gasped for breath and tried to keep the wave at bay. But it was a big wave, a tidal wave that consumed her entire body. Her legs almost gave way, her chest flushed bright red, her muscles, taut with pleasure, clamped around his cock and refused to let go. She shook under him, setting off his own wave, a blast of energy that sent a powerful trembling need through his veins. He held onto her, sharing his moment of ecstasy with her as his mind went blank for a second before everything made sense for a few seconds. Panting, he moved back slowly, his hair dragging down her sweat covered back as he slowly slid out of her. 

She caught her breath and felt the bed move as he lay back on the pillows facing the ceiling. She crawled over him, resting her head on his chest and smiling into his salty, warm skin as his arms wrapped her in a tight hug.


	30. Chapter 30

The pounding on the door shook them both from their slumber and Mia grappled with the sheets, almost convinced that the person on the other side was about to come charging into the room. Daryl rubbed his eyes and sat up, his brow furrowed.  
“Guys, The Saviours are on the way. You gotta move” Jesus was still knocking as he spoke, his voice muffled from the other side of the door. 

Daryl pulled his jeans on and padded to the door, unlocking it and opening it just enough to see Jesus with a calm but determined look on his face. He peered back at shirtless Daryl, catching a glimpse of Mia in the background, wrapping the sheets around her as she shimmied to the edge of the bed. 

“Uh, sorry guys. But we have to hide you.”

It took Daryl a few seconds to comprehend what he was saying. He leaned on the door and wiped down his face with his palm before the penny dropped and he looked over his shoulder at Mia, who was now stood in a puddle of sheets wearing a pair of black panties and fastening her bra with her back turned to them. 

“OK, we uh… gotta get dressed.” Daryl said, turning back to Jesus. 

“You got like, 2 minutes, man. Hurry” 

Daryl closed the door and swept the room for his belongings. Completely dressed and crossbow in hand in 30 seconds, he glanced over at Mia who had managed to put on her jeans and boots but was frantically searching for her T-Shirt, her vision partially obscured by her thick, black hair getting in the way as she ducked to look under the bed. 

“Here” He said, throwing her a black sleeveless shirt he had snatched from a chair. Without asking questions, she shrugged it on and fastened it at the front, the holes at the sides dipped low, revealing the sides of her bra. She looked down at herself and then back at Daryl.  
“This is yours” She said. 

“It’s a shirt, right? C’mon” He snapped, grabbing her arm and marching her to the door. As Daryl stepped outside, she spun around and quickly studied the room for any tell-tale signs that would lead the Saviours to believe her or Daryl were ever here. Finding nothing, she followed Daryl down the stairs. 

“Here! Quick!” Maggie was frantically motioning to them from the side of Barrington house, where she stood next to a basement door. Dust kicked up from the ground as they sprinted towards her, the roaring of truck engines rising up from beyond the gates behind them. Mia heard something thud onto the ground behind her and tried to turn in the direction of the noise only to be dragged forwards by Daryl’s firm grip around her wrist. They rounded the corner and Daryl gently shoved her down the steps into the basement behind Maggie.  
Stepping into the darkness, Mia felt her back pockets and realised her cigarettes were missing, dropped onto the dusty ground outside. She gasped and went to run back up the stairs, feeling a hand grab her arm from behind. 

“What the hell are ya doin?” Daryl hissed. 

“My cigarettes are on the floor outside. If Negan turns up and sees them, he’ll know I’m here.” She said, her voice shaking slightly with worry. 

“Ya can’t go out there, they’re through the gates now” He warned, pulling her back from the door. 

Maggie struggled with a shelf behind them, tugging at it with all her body weight and slipping into the gap she had created. 

“Hey, in here” She whispered. Daryl glanced over his shoulder before returning his gaze back to the wooden door to the outside. A thin, slither of light shone through a gap in the wood, highlighting his eye and half of his face as he observed people running about frantically on the other side. 

“Daryl” Mia said quietly, tapping his shoulder. She waited for a moment before deciding to join Maggie, knowing Daryl would move when he was ready. She squeezed through into the area at the back of the shelving unit, shrouded in darkness and took up a position opposite Maggie. Boots in the dust could be heard outside as people trudged past the basement entrance, Daryl still glaring at the passers-by. 

Mia’s heart was fluttering with unease, the thought of getting caught and hauled back to Negan eating away at her usually calm and collected demeanour in the face of danger. She never wanted to see the inside of the Sanctuary again, never wanted to see the inside of Negan’s bedroom again and never wanted to see the broken, terrified faces of the women he called his wives, ever again. 

Daryl suddenly moved, creeping back into the darkness behind the shelves and standing near Maggie as the door to the basement flew open and bright light flooded the front of the underground room. Mia flinched at the sudden sound and her back hit the stone wall behind her, the cold stinging her bare arms. The three of them ducked as low as they could. Daryl removed his knife and held it firmly in his hand, ready to use it in a split second. 

Footsteps thudded down the wooden stairs and a long haired, tall man appeared, scanning the room and making his way to a large stack of fruit on the opposite side of the room. Maggie backed further into the dark, in a corner behind Daryl as he raised his knife higher.  
The man rummaged around the sacks of fruit, placing as much as he could into a wooden box and chewing loudly on something as he worked. Mia stood completely still, almost certain that he could hear her heartbeat from across the room. Her eyes darted from the man to Daryl and back again as she screamed at him in her mind not to move, not to try and stab the guy and blow their cover. 

 

Jesus watched as The Saviours loaded up their trucks with provisions. Provisions that were meant to go to the people of Hilltop but that Negan had decided were now his. Gregory, the leader of hilltop grovelled and ass-kissed his way into the good books of Simon, one of Negan’s right-hand men, offering him whiskey and standing by and doing nothing as their supplies were taken from under their noses. 

Simon slowly walked past the trucks, observing the others when he stepped on something. He stopped, looked down and lifted his boot, revealing a red and white packet of cigarettes. One side of his lips curled up into a smirk before he bent down and picked up the packet, lifting it level with his face and turning the box in his fingers. 

“What do we have here?” He said, almost to himself. “I’m sure I used to know someone who smoked these”

Jesus remained stoic, giving nothing away. Simon tucked the cigarettes into his back pocket and approached Gregory, who immediately began to shift and fidget nervously with his clothing, his body language screaming fear. 

“Little while ago, Negan lost one of his prized possessions. A woman. Firecracker of a woman actually. I was the one that brought her to him. She’s since gone on a little trip and Negan’s not best pleased. You’d tell me if she was here, wouldn’t you?” Said Simon, his thumbs hooked through the loops on his belt as he spoke. 

Gregory’s eyes were everywhere but on Simons face. 

“No, I-I don’t know anything about this” He stammered. 

“We haven’t had any newcomers for a while now” Jesus intercepted. “We need to make sure our supplies can serve our population” 

Simon studied their faces, his thick moustache rippling as he moved his tongue around the inside of his lip. 

“You do realise that lessons will have to be learned if I find out you’re lying to me, don’t you, Gregory?” He snarled, stepping closer to the nervous, grey suited man. “We wouldn’t want to fall out now, would we?”

Gregory nodded as Jesus swallowed hard, knowing all hell would break loose if Mia and Daryl were found in the basement along with the widow Negan thought was dead. 

 

The Long-haired man moved closer to them, inspecting the shelving in front of them. Mia held her breath until her chest burned and constricted. She closed her eyes and willed him to move away, begging whatever celestial being that might be listening to keep them safe.  
Daryl’s eyes were fixed on the intruder, his jaw was pulled tight and his fingers tingled around the hilt of the knife that he was holding in an iron grip. No one was going to take him back to that place and no one was going to lay a finger on Mia if he could help it. He wanted them dead, every last one of them wiped off this earth for even being associated with the Monster that had killed his friends. He followed the stranger’s movement as he slowly turned his back to them, rummaging in a potato sack. Seeing an opportunity, Daryl crept forwards and raised his knife. 

Mia jolted forwards, panic rising in her chest when she saw Daryl step closer to the gap between the shelves, closer to the man that was with The Saviours. She remained still when she saw Maggie place a hand on Daryl’s arm. He glanced back at her, her eyes locked with his as she slowly shook her head. The two of them remained like this until the man had wandered back up the stairs, slamming the door on his departure. 

Air huffed loudly from Mia’s lungs as she exhaled and leaned forwards, her hands on her knees as she fought to slow her racing heartbeat. It was close, too close for her liking. She wanted to be as far away from these people and the memories associated with them as humanly possible. 

Daryl lowered his knife and shuffled through the gap, moving back up the steps to the slither of light from between the beams in the door. He squinted as he tried to focus on the movement outside. 

Maggie and Mia both heaved the shelves further back, allowing them both to pass into the middle of the room. 

“You were going to kill that guy” Maggie whispered to Daryl. He turned and descended the steps, standing in the dark to one side. 

“He was gonna find us,” Daryl mumbled, chewing on his bottom lip again and avoiding her gaze.

“He wasn’t…and he didn’t” Maggie corrected

“He deserved to die” He said, keeping his back turned to her. 

“Ever since you got here, you haven’t said a word to me,” Maggie replied, attempting to catch his eye but he just looked to the dark corner of the room. “Would you look at me, please...Daryl?”

He slowly shifted his stance and Mia watched from the shadows as his shoulders jerked and his head turned to face her. Maggie was right, Daryl hadn’t said a word to her or even looked at her much since they’d arrived. The guilt of her husband’s death hanging over his head, clawing at his soul and eating away it him. She knew he blamed no one but himself for Glenn’s murder, even if he wasn’t the one who swung the bat. 

A heavy, awkward silence filled the room and she heard a loud sniff come from Daryl’s direction. Maggie’s expression was one of desperation as she studied Daryl’s face, the sadness almost seeping from their pores and consuming everyone present. Mia bit her lip and waited, longing for Daryl to say something. 

”I’m sorry” Daryl finally said. Mia’s heart almost broke into two pieces and she swallowed hard, able to feel the pain he was in. 

“I’m sorry” he said again, his voice breaking as he began to cry.

Maggie hesitated, her head tilting slightly to one side as she observed the outpouring of emotion from him. 

“It wasn’t your fault” She whispered. 

Daryl was nodding, looking at her through his hair. “It was” 

“No, it wasn’t” She interrupted. “You’re one of the good things in this world. That’s what Glenn thought, and he would know. Because he was one of the good things too.” Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as Mia fought the urge to run to Daryl and wrap her arms around him. But this was not a moment she should be involved in. This was a moment that Daryl and Maggie needed to have. 

“I wanted to kill that guy too.” She confessed. I want to string them all up and watch them die. But we have to win”

Daryl didn’t move an inch, his outline becoming blurry to Mia, whose own eyes were now filling with tears. Maggie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a quiet embrace, the only sounds coming from Daryl, gently sniffing, his breathing deep and jagged. 

“Help me win” she said into his shoulder.

 

They remained in the dark room until Jesus opened the door, flooding them in daylight. When Maggie had broken away from Daryl, she looked on adoringly as Mia latched onto him, brushing hair and tears from his face over and over with both of her hands and burying herself in his neck. He had remained quiet and withdrawn for a while, seemingly content enough with having Mia stood with her arms around him, refusing to move. 

Maggie had shot Daryl a beaming smile at one point, telling him that Glenn would have been happy for him, like she was.

“It’s safe, c’mon guys” Jesus said, offering a hand to Maggie and helping her up the steps. Daryl was next followed by Mia who suddenly remembered her lost pack of smokes. 

“Jesus, I lost my Cigare-“ She started

“I know, Simon found them. He’s definitely suspicious, but Gregory said he hadn’t seen you. I backed him up. I think we’re OK, for now.” He intercepted, Gregory overhearing in the distance and looking over at them. Mia nodded a polite ‘thanks’ to him which was quickly ignored as he turned his back to her. She hadn’t seen much of Gregory at all. He had introduced himself on their first day, but since then had only passed them occasionally, giving them broad but fake smiles. She stepped in front of Jesus and Maggie. 

“That man over there? He’s a pussy. I’m telling you, he will give us up and hand us over with the next supplies collection like we’re a couple of watermelons. I don’t trust him.” She said bluntly, hearing Daryl stifle a laugh from behind her. 

Jesus tried his hardest not to completely agree with her as he looked sideways at Maggie, who was smiling at the floor.

“He’s not given Maggie up yet” He offered. 

“Maybe not” She said “But ‘yet’ is the operative word in that sentence, don’t you think? If his life is threatened, he’ll cave. Half sack over there doesn’t have the balls to stand up to someone like Simon, let alone Negan himself. I’d hazard a guess that before all this, he was some kind of businessman who had big dreams but very little results, an office full of employees that gave him offensive nicknames and a thing for being spanked by whores in cheap hotel rooms” 

Everyone exchanged shocked glances, Jesus finding it increasingly difficult not to laugh as Maggie bit down on her bottom lip and looked over Mia’s shoulder at Daryl, who was shaking his head at her in disbelief. Just when he thought he was getting used to her blunt nature, she surprised him yet again.

“Damn, Mia” He huffed. 

“I’ll talk to him” Maggie smiled. “Leave it with me”. 

 

That night, Mia had spent most of the evening chatting to Jesus and cooking eggs from the colony’s chicken coop. It had been a long time since she had tasted proper eggs that hadn’t come from a powder and she had polished off four of them before deciding to introduce some vegetables into the mix. Jesus had told her about another community that also had a deal with The Saviours of which she had heard mentioned a few times while living at the Sanctuary. The Kingdom. She listened intently while Jesus explained that if Gregory really wasn’t to be trusted, they would have to relocate to somewhere safer and further away. While he hadn’t told her exactly where it was, Mia felt better knowing there was a plan B.

After dinner, she climbed the ladder to the top of the wall in search of Daryl, who had decided to take watch duty from one of the other’s. She had assumed he’d wanted some alone time, but when he failed to return after a few hours, she had gone to find him. She had decided not to change her shirt, secretly enjoying wearing something that belonged to Daryl. 

The night was quiet, almost deathly silent without the chirp of crickets or the odd bird. She walked slowly along the walkway at the top of the wall, passing a couple of other guards and greeting them politely before spotting Daryl at the end, a cigarette hanging from his lips as he carved arrows with his knife. He was leaning forwards on the wall, his forearms propping his body up and the excess wood from the arrows dropping onto the ground on the other side of the wall. His hair hung messily over his face as usual and his big arms glistened with sweat in the warm night air. He hadn’t noticed her quietly pacing towards him. 

“Hey” She said quietly, not wanting to surprise him too much. He glanced over his shoulder at her before returning to his carving task. 

“Hey” He mumbled. 

“You OK?” She asked tentatively. He stopped carving and looked out across the trees. 

“Gotta be” He muttered. She stepped closer to him, brushing his hair away and planting a soft kiss on his cheek before backing away and taking a deep breath. 

“There’s two of us in this, right? That’s what you said. So…” She trailed off, digging at the dirt on the wooden panelled floor with her boot. 

“…I don’t even know what I’m saying. I guess I just don’t want you to sit alone and think about shit too much. Maggie doesn’t blame you. No one does, except you. You’re not responsible for everyone’s lives, Daryl. Look…I can’t fix everything, I can try and I will try, but I can’t solve all your problems or erase the memories of that night, but I can promise you don’t have to move past it alone.” 

He looked down into his hands, mulling over her words when he saw her turn and start to walk away. 

“Mia” She stopped but didn’t turn around. 

“I love you” He said quietly from behind her.

She tilted her head up to the sky, closed her eyes and willed herself with all her might to say it back. When she was unable to summon a response, she carried on back to the ladder. 

 

Mia believed that she could say ‘I love you’ a million times, she could say whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. But if she wasn’t going to prove that the things she said were true, then she shouldn’t say anything at all. If she couldn’t show it, her words didn’t mean a thing. In her past experience with love, she hadn’t been able to actually feel it when the words had been said to her, but when she had realised that it had been nothing but an empty statement, expressed for the sake of it, she had felt every ounce of what she thought it was, drain out of her body.

She waited patiently for Daryl to drift off to sleep beside her when he had finally come down from the guard post. She had pretended to be asleep when he crawled into bed and she could sense him laying there staring at the ceiling and thinking for what seemed like an eternity before his breathing finally deepened and sleep took hold of him. 

She slid out of the covers and put on her jeans, T-shirt, boots and a hoodie before strapping her knife holster to her leg and packing her backpack. She twisted her hair into a messy bun and went for the door handle, stopping and forcing herself to look down at him. He looked peaceful, still and like the weight on his shoulders had been lifted as he slept, his arms rested above his head, his eyes almost obscured by his hair. 

She sighed and looked over at the dresser, where a candy wrapper lay discarded on the top. She let her bag drop down her arm, unzipped it and crossed the room. Snatching the wrapper from the side, she scrawled a messy note and placed it on her pillow beside him. 

 

_‘There are two of us. I’m never not thinking of you. I will return.’_


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about all the angst! *grin*

She crouched in the darkness, one knee on the floor, precariously balanced with a torch in her mouth, illuminating the tiny, black hole of the lock. She steadied herself and inhaled, calming her senses and allowing herself to concentrate. She inserted a tension wrench and a pick, which she had fashioned from a windscreen wiper and a bobby pin during the months she had spent alone. Applying slight pressure on the tension wrench, she felt the lock shift slightly to the left, allowing the pick further inside as she raked at the pins inside the lock, clicking, clicking until finally, the lock released and she turned the handle. 

Inside the room, she made her way to the desk, pulling open drawers and shifting through paperwork and small bottles of whiskey. She pulled out a scrapbook and flipped it open, scanning over the clippings and drawings. She smiled as she came across a map, the exact thing she had been looking for. She ripped the page from the book and stuffed it into her pocket before closing it and placing it back into the drawer it came from. Quickly glancing around and scanning the room with the light, she spotted one more thing she needed. A polaroid camera, sitting on a shelf at the far end of the room. She sprang towards it, crossing the carpet in complete silence as she snatched it off the shelf and checked it was in working order. She shoved it in her backpack and made for the door. When she left the room, she tried to leave it as she’d found it, knowing that she would have more time if her intentions went unknown. 

Mia knew she couldn’t just waltz through the main gate without anyone seeing her, so intended to scale the wall at the back of the compound. She just needed to figure out how. As she made her way to the back of Barrington House, she noticed a large pile of trash at the back, metal and wooden objects, broken furniture and snapped gardening tools made up just some of what people had discarded out of sight. Shining the light on the pile, she began to sift through the rubble, quietly placing things to the side when she really just wanted to shove it all out of the way. A length of rope caught her eye, partially frayed at one end but strong enough to hold her weight. She began to tug on it, realising it was caught under the heavy load of metal and wood. With every pull, a loud rumbling noise emanated from the pile, sure to get someone’s attention if she wasn’t speedy. She took a deep breath and yanked on it with all her might, dislodging most of the pile and stumbling backwards when it finally released. A loud clanging noise rang out across the area and she knew she now had seconds to get her plan in motion. She wrapped it round her arm and continued to search the pile, spotting what looked like a small boat anchor. She kneeled down and dislodged it, sitting back on the grass cross legged as she knotted the rope into the anchors loop by the light of the torch gripped in her teeth. 

 

Daryl rolled over and blearily opened his eyes, seeing Mia’s side of the bed empty. He sat up, rubbing his face with his hand and blinking the sleep away from his eyes. Her boots were gone, along with her backpack, knife and gun. He looked beside him at her pillow, where a note lay scribbled on a wrapper from a candy bar. He snatched the note and read the swirly, italic writing, feeling a rising sense of panic and anger bubbling in his chest. 

“Shit” He spat as he sprang out of bed. 

 

The sun was beating down on her and she was glad she’d chosen to wear a hoodie. While she was sweating under the extra layer, the hood was protecting her head from the sun’s harsh rays that soon would have rendered her useless with sunstroke. She had been walking for around two hours now, her boots thudding along the side of the road. Shrouded by the trees, she had remained vigilant enough to keep out of sight of any passing cars, not just for fear of one of Negan’s people spotting her, but also because by now, Daryl would have noticed her absence. Steely determination had kept her going when doubt crept into her mind. She knew Daryl would be furious with her and probably hurt at her seemingly discarding his pleas for her to stop doing things by herself. But she had a greater plan, a greater good that was bigger than herself. 

She had encountered around 12 Walkers so far, although she had stopped counting after sinking her knife into the skull of what she guessed must be number 9. Walkers alone or in small groups she could more than handle by herself, it was a herd she had to be careful of and she constantly found herself checking her surroundings every few seconds and listening intently for the faint murmuring of hundreds of Walker growls. She had arrived at a crossroads and screwed her face up as she tried to remember the correct turning. Choosing the one that gave her the best gut feeling, she carried on walking. 

 

The doors flew open and banged harshly against the wall, sending a terrified jolt through Gregory, who was sat at his desk, a glass of brown liquid clutched in his hand which had now sloshed over the side and dampened his knee. 

“Where is she?!” Daryl boomed, charging into the office.

Jesus and Maggie stood opposite Gregory’s desk, they exchanged worried glances at Daryl’s bull in a china shop entrance. 

“She couldn’t have gotten outta here without one of ya people seeing her. Where is she?” He snarled at Gregory, who raised his hands in a show of submission.

“We don’t know” He said. 

“I found this” Jesus cut in, holding up a rope with a large hook attached to the end. “I think she scaled the wall in the night.”

Daryl tried to remain calm but his anger was now rapidly boiling over at the sight of the tool she had used to get out of the compound. He paced back and forth for a second, staring at the floor as his hair hung over his face. Finally looking up, his eyes jumped from one person to the other. 

“Why are y’all just standin’ there? We gotta go get her” He snapped. 

“We don’t even know where to look, Daryl. You and I can’t go out there either. Jesus will go and search the area” Maggie said. Her calm and collected demeanour slightly soothing his panic but he still glared at them all, one by one as he struggled to think. 

“She-she’s real smart. If she doesn’t wanna be found, she won’t be. She’s stubborn as hell. She can handle herself but-but if she gets caught by a herd or by Negan…” He stammered. 

“Daryl, I’ll try my best to find her, OK?” Jesus offered. 

“No” Daryl growled. “You will find her, ya hear me? She’s mine. She’s – “

“-OK.” Jesus said, approaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder. “OK, Man. I’ll find her.”

 

She pushed through the trees, treading carefully and being as stealthy as possible. The faint growling of a nearby corpse growing closer as she moved. Her blood-soaked knife glistened in the sun as she held it up, ready to strike. She held her breath, stopped and listened. It grew closer still, it’s snarling intensifying. It had seen her. Her eyes scanned the leaves and branches around her, trying to find the direction of the threat when she heard a twig snap and the bush at the side of her rustled. A mangled, bloody hand shot out from the leaves, it’s thumb missing. It grabbed at her before the rest of the Walker emerged from the bushes, lumbering towards her and snapping its jaws, making a cracking sound that went straight through her. It’s teeth were fully exposed, any semblance of lips or cheeks now completely gone.

“Hey, Jaws” She joked, batting its arms away and grabbing at its shoulder. She pushed it down towards the ground. Her feet left the floor as she brought the knife down and through the top of its skull, a loud squishing sound causing her to recoil and quickly shove the body away onto the ground. 

She kept walking, eventually coming to a clearing in the trees. Her mouth was dry, her skin was on fire and her feet were aching. She smiled when she saw the tin can lined fence and sighed with relief at the sight of the cottage. 

 

Conversation had been a little strained to say the least between Mia and the two people that now watched over the crops and bunker at the cottage. They had been suspicious of her need to collect some food and water and Daryl’s bike, which was still there, especially seeing as she’d turned up alone. But she’d managed to talk them round and they eventually allowed her to go about her business and be on her way. She had filled her bag with food supplies and water, enough to last her as long as she guessed her journey would be. As she started the bike, she pulled the band from her hair and pushed her sunglasses on. 

 

She breezed through the trees, her hair blowing in the wind as the bike tore through the backstreets and woodlands paths. Walkers turned as she passed, following the noise of the engine, only to be eating dust in seconds as she shot past them. Even though she couldn’t even hear herself, she sang loudly and laughed as she steered the bike towards her destination, fuelled by the thought of the first part of the plan having been completed.

 

Daryl couldn’t sit still, feeling useless and like a spare part by being made to stay put. He walked back and forth on the top of the wall, repeatedly ending up by the gate and hoping to see Mia wandering up the hill towards him but he was only met by the same empty, dusty road. He couldn’t understand why she would this again after their conversation back at the cottage. Had what he said been completely ignored? 

“You’re going to wear out the floor up there” said a voice from below. He turned and looked over the side to see Maggie smiling up at him. “We have some deer to skin, could use your help” 

He lit a cigarette and shook his head. “Nah, I’m good here” 

“Daryl” Maggie pressed “You’re no use to anyone up there, you’ve been there for hours. Come down and keep yourself busy”

When he disappeared from view, Maggie decided she wasn’t letting this go. She climbed the ladder and started towards him, seeing him sigh as she approached. 

“Just leave me be” He spat angrily. 

“No” She replied, crossing her arms. “If you’re staying here then so am I” 

He slumped down onto a makeshift seat make from barrels and wood, blowing smoke from his nose and twirling his cigarette around his fingers. The last thing he wanted was company, but he was also sure he did not want to move from this spot. She settled next to him and looked out over the treetops at the evening sky. Mia had been gone for over 12 hours and she now wasn’t so sure if Jesus could keep his word. 

“Never seen you like this about anybody before” She said. 

A grunt was all she got in return as she saw him take another drag on his smoke. He was careful not to blow smoke in her direction, turning his head away from her as he exhaled. They sat in silence for a number of minutes, Maggie playing with the hem of her shirt and Daryl quietly seething at Mia’s absence beside her. 

“You love her, don’t you?” Maggie said cautiously. 

Daryl glanced in her direction, catching her eye before looking at the view again. His mind was muddled, so many emotions churning away in him that he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what any of them were. It was a long time before he answered, Maggie had almost accepted that he was choosing to ignore her questions, thinking it may be a bit too personal for him to consider. 

“Yeah” 

He mumbled the word, looking down into his lap before raising his gaze and seeing her smile at him. 

“Aw, Daryl. That’s-“ She started.

“Stop. Don’t” he interrupted. 

“Why?” She asked. 

He shrugged, taking another drag and rising to his feet. He placed his hands on the fence in front of them and leaned his weight on it.

“Could be dead for all I know” He mused. 

“Maybe not. You said yourself, she’s smart. From what I know of her, she’s gone for a reason and she’ll be just fine.” She assured him. He looked back at her, giving her a half smile, which quickly faded back to a scowl as he scanned the road below once more. 

“Aint nothin’ or nobody gonna pin her down. Does what she likes when she likes.” He grumbled. 

“We don’t know why she’s gone yet. She left you a note.” She reminded him. He scoffed loudly and shook his head again. 

“Don’t mean nothin’ if she gets found by Negan or bit by a Walker” He took one last drag on his cigarette and flicked it out into the dust below. 

 

The bike shuddered as the engine calmed and settled and Mia dismounted and slid her sunglasses up onto the top of her head. She had reached her destination but had decided to keep a clear distance and scope the place out first. She hid the bike in the woods and set up at the side of the road, observing groups of people clad in riot gear drive back and forth in trucks. These were not Negan’s men, these were people from a different community, people that didn’t pose a threat. Eventually, she stood in her hiding place and dusted down her jeans, the dusky light was now casting a red glow across the sky and she was glad at the temperature drop. She threw her backpack on and ducked back behind the trees at the sound of people approaching in the road. She backed into the undergrowth, shielding herself from their sight as they passed. She wondered why they were on foot and not in a truck like the others. There were five of them, all male and wearing riot gear. The main in the middle who seemed to be the leader, sported long, thick black and grey dreadlocks and spoke with a certain superiority. Mia followed them as they travelled down the road, her interest peaked even more when she noticed one of the men carrying what appeared to be a glass dish of food. 

“The hell is this?” She muttered to herself as she crept through the trees. After ten minutes, hey took a left turn and started towards a run-down house just off the road. She settled in the trees opposite the house and waited, squinting at the scene before her in an attempt to sharpen the image. 

The door to the house opened and Mia’s breath caught in her throat as she saw a woman emerge and scowl at the men in front of her. She was armed with a shotgun and obviously irritated as one of the men handed her the glass dish. The Dreadlocked man stepped forward and spoke to her. 

“Gotcha” Mia smiled. 

 

Daryl had taken some convincing but he had finally left the wall and returned to the ground, perched on the back of a truck, cleaning his crossbow. It was now dark and he worked by the light of a fire in front of him. Maggie had watched over him for most of the day and again after their conversation in the evening, but he hadn’t spoken to anyone else, keeping away from everyone, consumed by his concern for the woman he had come to care so much about. When Jesus hadn’t returned by nightfall, Daryl had become even more agitated and retreated from the wall to the truck, scowling at everyone that passed. 

 

“Now, how did I know I’d find you here?” Jesus grinned as he pointed a gun to the back of Mia’s head. She slowly turned in her place in the bushes and rolled her eyes. 

“Really? You’re pointing a gun at me. You're not going to shoot me.” She scoffed. 

“I hear you’re quite the escape artist, picked up a few of those skills along the way myself” He answered. 

She straightened her body, hearing her back click as she stretched her arms up over her head. 

“Put that thing away, Ninja boy. You’re screwing up my mission” She yawned. 

“You went looking for Carol?” he asked. 

She nodded and sighed, picking up her backpack and batting the gun away in Jesus’ hand. She unzipped the bag and pulled out the camera.

“If it was meant to be a secret, you fucked up. You mentioned Morgan was here, He left Alexandria at the same time Carol did, chances of them travelling together were high” She explained. He stared at her with a slightly patronising and concerned look.

“Look, she’s important to him. To Daryl. He needs her. I just wanted to make sure she was here.” She said, turning and snapping a quick photo with the camera. She waited for the image to process, taking it from the machine and flapping it about in the air, pinched between her thumb and middle finger.

Jesus holstered his gun and looked sadly at her. “She did arrive with Morgan. But she didn’t want to be here. That guy there?” He pointed through the trees to the Dreadlocked man “That’s King Ezekiel, He runs the Kingdom and allows her to stay there in that house, outside of the walls. She wanted to be left alone”

“He’s not leaving her alone right now. She looks pretty pissed” She observed, glancing back at the house over her shoulder. 

“Mia” Jesus said, earning him her attention. “Daryl, he’s going out of his mind. I’m not sure he’ll thank you for this. He’s worried about you. You need to come back with me”

She huffed and nodded in agreement, checking the photograph had developed and motioning for him to follow her back to the bike. 

 

It was almost morning when Daryl heard the faint rumble of a motorcycle and the gates rumbling open. He shot up from the bed where he lay, fully clothed and staring at the ceiling all night and ran down the winding staircase to the door. 

Light was filtering through the trees and the noise from the bike seemed to cut through the quiet morning air like a knife. Mia shut off the engine and Jesus dismounted the bike, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“He will never trust you if you do something like this again. You know that, right?” He warned. She levelled her gaze at him and nodded as if she were a child being scolded. 

“Don’t make me point anymore guns at you” He smiled as he stepped away, seeing Maggie emerge from the house, followed by Daryl. 

She swung a leg over the bike and froze when she saw him stood in the doorway. Unable to read his expression, she removed her backpack, placed it on the seat of the bike and slowly started towards him. She was taken by surprise when she felt nerves rise in her stomach, a heavy feeling of apprehension. 

Daryl’s breathing increased as he watched her anxiously walk towards him, his bike parked behind her. Initially rooted to the spot, he had to take a moment to make sure she was real, that she was actually there and he wasn’t just imagining it. But there she was, no more than 100 feet away. He darted forwards, running to her and slamming his body into hers as he wrapped his arms around her, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts as he cradled the back of her head in his hand and roughly kissed the side of her face. She held onto his waist, feeling a wave of regret for a second before remembering exactly why she had left. 

He suddenly pushed her away and turned his back to her, shrugging her off when she attempted to place a hand on his shoulder. 

“Daryl, I-“

“No!” He shouted, spinning around and shooting her an enraged glare. “Wha…what the fuck, Mia?! His voice was breathy, gasped as first.

He repeatedly stepped away from her, only to come back over and over again, his arm flailing up as he went to speak.

“When I told ya there’s two of us in this, did ya even listen to a word I said?!” He retorted.

“Yes-“ She tried

“Bullshit! If ya did, you’d stop doin’ this!” He yelled, his arm thrashing about in front of her. 

“I left you a note, I-“ She squeaked.

“I don’t give a shit about the damn note, Mia! Ya think I give a fuck about that when ya could be bit or caught by that Psychopath again?!” 

His voice bounced off the walls and Jesus stepped forward, positioning himself in-between them. Other people had started to peer out of the windows and doors of their trailers. 

“Guys, go inside, you can talk in there. You don’t want to do this in front of everyone else” Jesus suggested. 

“Forget it, I’m done!” Daryl spat as he threw his hands up. He spun around and headed to the house.

“Daryl, just listen to me, goddammit!” Mia pleaded, running around Jesus and attempting to stop him by grabbing his wrist. He threw his arm back to shake her off with such force that she flinched at the response, bringing her own arm up to shield her face.

She gulped down the shame that stabbed away at her heart, shame at feeling frightened by the potential violence of another human being for the first time since she was sixteen years old. She had killed hundreds of Walkers, encountered the worst of human depravity in her time on the streets, witnessed the organised, criminal underworld of bikers, encountered cannibals and endured being Negan’s wife, but nothing frightened her more than falling back into the place of sixteen-year-old Mia, being savagely and mercilessly beaten by her alcoholic father. The motion of an arm being raised to her like that, had put her firmly back in the past. 

Daryl could see it in her eyes, it was a familiar fear to him and he instantly sensed the guilt rising in him as he looked at her shocked face and watched her quickly lower her arm, ashamed at her defensive reaction. 

“I can’t be near ya right now” He growled before walking into the house and slamming the door. 

Mia inhaled deeply and tried to compose herself, shocked by the level of anger she’d just experienced. He’d never been this mad at her before and if she was honest with herself, she did understand why. A tear escaped her eye and ventured down her cheek when she replayed the events that had just transpired.


	32. Chapter 32

She busied herself by helping out with the cows for a couple of hours, changing their food and chatting to them like they were people. That was the thing she loved about animals, they couldn’t answer back or tell her she was wrong. They didn’t judge or give her funny looks, they were just there, grateful to be alive and that was what the remainder of humanity seemed to be lacking sometimes. She nibbled on a granola bar she’d got from the bunker as she watched the cows munching away on their own food before deciding to go and find Daryl and face the music. 

 

When she had finally plucked up the courage to enter the house, she made her way up the stairs and gently pushed open the door. Daryl was sat on the bed, his back against the headboard and his knees drawn up. He held an arrow in his hand, turning it slowly in his fingers with his elbows resting on his knees. He glanced up as she entered the room. The tension was almost unbearable and Mia thought she could literally see her skin crawling. 

“I just want to say something, then you can yell at me all you want” She said, perching on the edge of the bed in front of him. She waited for a response and sat back further when Daryl nodded. 

“If you come with me tomorrow morning, I’ll show you why I went away and I’ll explain everything. I need you to do this for me. Just wait until tomorrow” She said. He just glared at her, his whole body tense and his eyes not flickering even for a second. 

“Naw, ya aint got no right to ask for anythin’ from me” he snapped. 

“I want you to see, for yourself” She tried again.

He shook his head and shuffled across the mattress, getting to his feet and slowly pacing the floor. Mia also stood, willing him to just stand still and agree to what she was asking. 

“I don’t get why ya won’t just tell me what’s going on. Hell, I don’t get why you never include me any of your crazy ass ideas. Goin’ off all the damn time, not givin’ a shit about what I think. Don’t give a fuck about anybody but yaself.” He was becoming louder with every new sentence and his scathing comments scratched painfully at Mia’s feelings. 

She gave him a sad look. “That’s not true, Daryl. I-"

“Whatever ya wanted to do, we coulda’ talked about it. Or don’t ya trust me? Is that why ya gotta do everything all secretive behind my back? Is that why you flinched away from me earlier?! Because ya don't trust me?!” He shouted, his voice filling her head and sending a shockwave of panic through her.

Tears welled in her eyes as she came to the realisation that her actions had resulted in him jumping to the wrong conclusion. One that she didn’t blame him for and had meant she felt incredible guilt gnawing away at her conscience.  
“What? No!” She protested, roughly swiping an escaped tear from her cheek and sniffing loudly. 

Daryl walked up to her and backed her against the wall. His body wasn’t touching her but she felt pinned there nonetheless and was failing miserably to control her tears, which were now dripping from her face. His breath ticked the skin on her face, his eyes pierced into her soul as he stared her down.

“I would _never_ raise my hand to you. _Never_.” He snarled at her. 

His top lip curled as he spoke and his index finger jutted towards her chest as he pointed at her in the small space between them. He studied her salty, wet eyes, her desperately sad expression and sighed, placing a hand on the wall behind her and leaning his forehead on hers. 

“I would never hurt you” He whispered. 

Mia hesitantly stroked the side of his face as he continued to rest his head against hers. He stepped back, noticeably calming now, the skin on skin connection helping to quell his rage. His shoulders relaxed and his stony, angry face softened. Mia swallowed hard and blinked away tears. She went to speak but he held up a hand to stop her.

“That day that I…uh…” He stammered “I pushed ya against the wall on that run? I was real mad. But I wouldn’t have hurt ya. You knew the real reason why I did it. I would never lay a hand on you like that”

She swiped at her running nose with the sleeve of her jacket and nodded. “I know, Daryl. I know” She breathed as she threaded her hands into her messy, knotted hair, scratching at her scalp before she began to pad across the floor in front of him. 

“OK, OK, come on” She encouraged herself. Shaking her hands out by her sides briefly as if trying to shake away her sadness. She looked away from him, into the corner of the room for a second, trying to gather her thoughts.  
“I guess it was habit…to react like that. You raised your arm so quickly.” Her voice was beginning to crack with emotion. He watched her as she crossed her arms and pulled and raked at the fabric of her jacket. She was unravelling in front of him.

“He used to go for me like that.” She confessed. “Suddenly. Without a warning, just…brutal. It’s ingrained into me, Daryl. It’s not because I think you’d hurt me. I know you wouldn’t. I would have flinched like that if it was anyone else too. You-you don’t recoil at violence. I didn’t think I did either. Turns out there’s a lot I don’t know about myself.” 

He shifted awkwardly in his spot before stepping towards her and wrapping her in his arms. 

“I didn’t mean to scare ya” He said, drawing her near. 

“I’m sorry” Her muffled voice emanated from their embrace as her face pressed against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tighter, feeling her fingertips digging into his back, through his shirt as she locked into him.

“Please, just…just let me show you why I left. You have to let me show you.” She heaved. Her chest constricted from her jagged and uneven breathing. 

“Alright” He agreed, lowering his face into her hair. “Alright”. 

 

During the night, they lay side by side, their bodies seeming further away from each other than they actually were. Daryl had hardly said anything to her for the rest of the evening but she had noticed him staring at her for long periods of time and she longed to know what was going on in that head of his. Through all the yelling and the tears, one thing had not faltered in her mind; the knowledge that she had done this for him. Her hand crept across the sheets between them, finding his. He started slightly when her fingers connected with his but he soon covered her hand with his, gently squeezing it and rubbing his thumb over the soft skin. 

 

She woke feeling like the events of the previous day were nothing but a blur, unable to quash the steady excitement that was running through her every time she thought of being able to take Daryl to his best friend. She was up, showered and dressed in a sleeveless T-shirt and camo pants before Daryl was even awake, shoving things in her backpack and singing quietly to herself as she braided her hair in the mirror. He rolled over under the sheets behind her and she shifted to one side to allow herself a better view of his reflection. He slowly sat up, blinking and running his tongue over his lips. His hair was a mess, the back stood on end and Mia smiled at the sight. 

“You look like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket” She grinned. He caught his reflection as he looked up and grunted at her, swinging his legs off the bed and pulling on a pair of jeans. He stopped in his tracks and raised his eyebrow at her.

“That is mine, ya damn thief”

Mia giggled. She had spotted his angel winged vest on the chair when she got back from the shower and tried it on for size, soon becoming attached to it and not wanting to take it off. It smelled like leather, cigarettes, dirt and sweat and the wings that adorned the back were now discoloured, patchy and grey. 

“It’s in the girlfriend’s job description that I steal your clothes.” 

“Yeah?” He said, approaching her and stopping behind her. “This…”

He tapped her leather covered shoulder “Comes with a rule” 

He brushed her hair over her shoulder with his index finger, revealing her neck as he leaned down, lips meeting her skin under her jaw. She shuddered at the electricity of the light but powerful kiss. 

“hmm?” She hummed, hazy from the delicious tingling down her neck. 

“The girlfriend aint allowed to wear anything under it” He breathed into her ear. 

She fastened the end of her braid and stood up, turning to him and smoothing his ruffled hair down. She draped her arms over his shoulders and brought her face close to his. He closed his eyes and she traced along his lips with her tongue before melting into him and kissing him so passionately she heard him moan into her mouth. His hands pushed the vest from her frame and crept under her shirt, to the fastening at the back of her bra. 

“Seein' as ya already wearin’ it, im’ma just take the rest off now” He said in-between sloppy kisses. She pulled away and winked at him. 

“Na-uh. Before you get carried away, we have a trip to make.” She chirped. She handed him his vest and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, pulling on her boots. 

He closed his eyes and sighed for a moment, waiting for the spike of testosterone to subside. Bringing himself back down to earth, he gathered his clothes and headed for the shower. Before he got to the door, Mia sat up from fastening her boots. 

“If you’re still talking to me in a few hours’ time, you can take the rest off then”. She beamed. 

 

He strolled out of Barrington house, bike keys in hand and crossbow over his shoulder. The searing hot sun beat down on him, igniting the skin under his black shirt and vest. He noticed a few of Hilltop’s residents were giving him cautious looks and he internally scolded himself for such a public display of anger last night. He used to hate the way people saw him back in the day, always giving him a wide berth and regarding him as some redneck criminal. He hadn’t seen many people look at him like that in a while, after joining Ricks group and finally finding people he could call his family. Now, after the events of the previous night, he was catching wary, suspicious stares.  
Mia was filling a saddle bag on the bike with some supplies when she saw him approach. Her eyes scanned the compound, seeing at least five people looking up from their tasks, giving both her and Daryl awkward looks. She could see that he had also noticed. 

“Feel like a fucking goldfish in a bowl this morning” She said under her breath as he neared her. 

“Let em stare. Assholes” He replied, removing his crossbow from his shoulder and fastening it to the back of the bike. Mia went to climb on when Daryl placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Woah, the hell ya doin?” He asked. 

“Getting on the bike?” She answered quizzically, raising her eyebrow at him. 

“Ya aint drivin’” He stated plainly. She sighed and rolled her eyes at him. “I agreed to come with ya. I’m callin this. I’m drivin,’ you’re navigating."

“You’re kidding me, right? You only have your bike because I went and got it back for you. They had it all hidden at the cottage, covered in bushes and snails and shit.” She argued.

He just glared at her until she flapped her arms at her sides like a spoilt child.

“Fine. But you better make up for not letting me play.” She pouted “I can think of something else of yours that I like having between my legs, maybe you’ll let me drive that” Her finger traced up his bare arm from his wrist to his shoulder as she purred at him. 

“Stop” he grumbled, unable to hide the smile lurking behind his gruff exterior, momentarily remembering the delectable, luscious curves of her body from their last intimate tryst. Snapping out of his short but enjoyable flashback, he shook his head as he swung a leg over the bike and got comfortable, looking back at her as she copied his actions and slid her hands around his waist.

“One more thing before we go” She prodded, shuffling forwards and pressing her body to his back. 

He grunted in acknowledgement.

“I hope you’re sitting on a snail, you joy stealer.” She whispered to him before he kickstarted the bike, sending a loud thrum across the compound as it lurched forwards and kicked up a wave of dust. Daryl steered the bike back on itself and headed towards the gate. 

 

Mia directed him through the backstreets, under the radar and away from any potential Saviours. They stopped twice to dispatch small groups of Walkers in order to safely pass through before arriving at the spot that she had left the bike in before. They dismounted and she began to wheel the heavy bike into a shallow crater under some bushes. Daryl leapt to her aid and they covered the bike with branches and leaves. 

She shrugged her backpack on and headed through the trees towards the house, sensing Daryl’s mounting confusion from behind her. 

“The hell ya takin me?” He complained. 

“Be patient and you’ll see” She replied, crunching down on twigs and dried leaves with her boots. As she neared the house, she was all too aware that she was about to tread a thin line between Daryl being grateful and Daryl being furious, but figured it was worth the risk. She spotted the roof of the house through the trees and stopped where she was. Daryl almost walking into her from behind. She slid her fingers into her back pocket and clutched the polaroid between her thumb and index finger. Before removing it from her pocket, she turned to face him. 

“Where are we?” He enquired. She found herself taking a deep breath and attempting to steady the nerves that were rising in her stomach. She hadn’t anticipated feeling like this and was taken by surprise by the sudden doubts tinkering with her mind. 

“I know you love me” She started, her voice wavering slightly “And I know I haven’t said it back. It’s been kinda difficult for me, I’ve felt like once I’ve said it, I’ll lose my mind and do all sorts of stupid and crazy shit.”

“Why are ya talkin’ 'bout this right now?” He said, his gaze narrowed and the confused expression increased on his face. 

“Because I realised that I already do stupid and crazy shit and-and I do it for you. The only thing I’ve done that wasn’t for you in some way, shape or form, was saving that kids life back at Alexandria.” She removed the polaroid from her pocket and clutched it in her hand, the plain white, back facing him. His eyes moved down to the object in her hand but she cupped her fingers around it in a gesture that said she wasn’t done talking. 

“I followed you to The Sanctuary, I stayed there and watched you every day, endured being mauled by that psycho so I could get you home. I manipulated Dwight and sent him on a trek into the woods with a gun to my back because I knew Rick could use him and you would get to decide his fate after that, because you’re owed that much. You tell me you love me and I know it’s-it’s huge to you and it’s amazing and I can’t believe it and it’s huge to me too, Daryl. It is… ” She was rambling

“I felt awful that I couldn’t say it back. So, I had to show you. This is me showing you”

“Showing me what?” He said, standing completely still. She looked down at the picture of Carol on her doorstep in her hand. 

“How much you mean to me” She whispered as she held out the photograph to him and saw his eyes move down. His face grew even more baffled as he studied the image. He gingerly took hold of it and removed it from her grasp.

“Carol?” His voice was muffled by him rubbing a hand over his face.

“I found her for you. She’s alive.” 

Daryl stood and stared at the picture, slowly shaking his head. A long, heavy silence hung around them and Mia wished he would just say something, even if it was to yell at her. 

“This is what ya were doin out here? This is why ya went off in the night?” He suddenly asked, looking up at her. Somehow, her fingers managed to find a thin branch on a tree beside her and she took hold of it, stripping it from the trunk and nervously picking the leaves from it.

“Yeah.” She said, nodding. 

“Why didn’t ya tell me?” He probed. 

“I knew you’d try and talk me out of it and I wanted you to see for yourself. What you went through, carrying all that guilt over Glenn, even I didn’t realise the extent of that, you keep so much locked away in that head of yours, I thought that if Carol was around, maybe it would be easier for you.” She discarded the branch, now irritated by its presence.

He shifted his stance and slowly began to wander aimlessly around the small clearing they stood in. 

“I dunno what to say” He eventually admitted. He paced, stopped, looked at her, looked away and paced again. Over and over. Mia was exhausted just watching him. He glanced at the photo again, lifting it closer to his face before stepping towards Mia, stopping just in front of her. Her eyes shot up at him, hoping he wasn’t mad at her. 

“She’s OK?” He murmured.

Mia smiled. “Yes, she’s fine. We’re not far from The Kingdom. She arrived there with Morgan but refused to stay. So now she lives in that house”

She stepped back with one foot and motioned with her head to the roof, visible through the trees behind her. 

“It’s across the road.” 

Daryl was torn, fighting an internal battle. He stuffed the photograph in his back pocket and slowly moved past her, brushing the trees and bushes aside to reveal the run-down shack at the side of the road. It was surrounded by a trip wire and he huffed at the familiarity of it all, the same trip wires the group had used since they met at the beginning. He looked back at Mia, who was leaning against a tree watching him. As mad as he was at her taking yet another spontaneous and dangerous trip on her own, he couldn’t deny that his affection for her had grown with the revelation that she had found Carol alive and brought him to her, knowing how much it would mean to him.

“Still think ya should have told me” He said to her. 

“I know” She grinned, kicking the dirt around under her boots. “You’re right, maybe I should have. I think we had a pretty good fight back there though. That was exciting.”

He glanced down at the floor and then back up at her, trying to hide his smile. It always made her melt when he tried to pretend he wasn’t as happy as was really obvious to her. Or, when he wanted to disguise that he found her attempts at humour genuinely funny. 

“OK, so just listen for one more minute.” She said “It’s like…it’s-it’s easy to take off all your clothes and have sex. People do that all the time. The difficult thing, is opening your soul to someone and letting them really know you. Allowing them to see your flaws and your rock bottom. That’s real trust. I wasn’t looking for anything when I met you. I didn’t want anyone, I just wanted to be left alone and…and…” 

“Mia, s’alright, ya don’t have to-” He intercepted. 

“No, no. Just…let me. I need you to let me.” She continued after seeing him give her a small nod. 

“Then you were there with your dead Opossom and your arms and all I wanted to do was spend time with you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you were a grade A asshole to me. But somehow, it was just…simple. I think that’s how this happened. It’s how it began. I wasn’t looking for anything and now I have something, I have everything.”

She heard a small grunt from his direction. She had all but said those words without actually having said them. Feeling naked and vulnerable she had visions of him closing up and storming off, telling her she was crazy and that he no longer wanted to see her again. Unable to understand why she was all of a sudden assuming the worst of him instead of being brave and using her usual blasé attitude, she huffed and leaned back against the tree, blowing an escaped strand of hair out of her eyes. 

“I-uh” He stammered “My whole life, I never thought I’d have this. None of it. Merle, he used to say to me; ‘aint nobody ever gonna care about you ‘cept me, little brother’. Never thought somebody like you would come along. Show interest in me. Wanna be with me. The things you’ve done for me, It’s a big deal.”

Mia observed him speaking quietly in his short sentences. Each one taking longer to construct in his head before he said it. She decided to remain still and quiet, something she had learned was necessary in order to allow him to explain himself. He fiddled with his fingers as he spoke, an awkward, involuntary action.

“I got everythin’ too now. I got a family...got a girl. She’s real pretty. She’s a pain in my ass. Annoys the hell outta me. But I wanna spent every annoyin’ minute with her. Just wish she didn’t keep doing dangerous shit. Aint gotta prove nothin’ to me. Don’t wanna lose her.”

He looked up from his twitchy fingers and studied her expression. Her eyes caught his and she smiled bashfully at him. 

“You’d hate her. She’s got an opinion on everything n’ says weird stuff at weird times” He said, failing yet again to hide a broad smile. 

Mia giggled briefly, stopping when he moved close to her and lifted the hem of her T-shirt slightly, slipping his fingertips underneath and tickling along the waistline of her jeans. Her skin ignited and her stomach flipped as he looked into her eyes, brushing his nose against hers.

“This girl of yours, are you still mad at her?” She murmured, her voice cracking from the intense tingling pleasure coming from his fingers running across her stomach and hip. 

“Yeah, I’m still pretty mad” He breathed, grazing her lips with his and changing the direction of his hand, now following the curve of her waist up to her ribs. She raised a hand and smoothed her fingers through his hair, kissing the side of his face and bringing his gaze back to her eyes. 

“You can take it out on me later. Right now, I think you should go and see your friend.” 

He stepped back, breaking contact with her and rubbed his chin briefly. 

“She left. Probably don’t wanna see nobody.” He admitted. 

“You won’t know unless you try, right? If she doesn’t want to see anyone again, at least you’ll know. At least you’ll be able to say goodbye” Mia said, slowly rounding the tree trunk and backing towards the bushes that stood at the side of the road which contained Carol’s new house. He followed her with apprehension, accepting her hand when she held it out. She led him through the leaves and to the side of the road, which they crossed silently, coming to a stop by the fence that lined the perimeter of the grounds the house stood in. Daryl climbed over the trip wire, being careful not to catch his crossbow and setting all the tin cans off in a symphony of clinks and clangs. Once he was on the other side, he held out his hand to Mia. 

“C’mon” He said. But she backed away, shaking her head. 

“This is as far as I go” She smiled sadly. 

“What? Naw, Mia. C’mon” He rotated his hand in the air, beckoning her towards him but she just stepped back even further. 

“I’ll be here when you’re ready to leave” She said, smiling broadly and looping her thumbs into the belt loops on her jeans. She stood in a strong, stubborn stance, her feet planted firmly in line with her shoulders. He hesitated, looking from Mia, to the house and back again before finally admitting defeat and sighing deeply. 

“Alright. Be careful” He warned, turning to the house and walking to the door. He shrugged his crossbow further up his shoulders to stop it sliding off and climbed the steps. Mia decided to wait until he was inside in case he changed his mind. 

“Come on. Knock on the door.” She said to herself through her teeth. 

He raised a hand and tapped lightly on the dusty, thin glass of the door and waited. Mia held her breath.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Everyone! 
> 
> So this story is now coming to an end. I've really got nowhere else to go with it now they're together without going full on into the war. I am so grateful for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks. I never thought this would get as much attention as it has so thank you all so much for reading it. 
> 
> I have started a new fic that may be going up tonight or tomorrow, just trying to figure out a title. It'll be prison era and of course, all about Daryl. 
> 
> I love writing strong female characters and there may be some similarities between Mia and my new OC, so if you loved her, you may well love the new one too.

Carol was attempting to read, having already been disturbed by Ezekiel and his men once this morning. She threw her legs up on the couch and opened her book. Her eyes flitted across the words, finding the place she had left off. She read the first paragraph and then again, and again, unable to concentrate. She had chosen to live here alone for a reason, because she wanted to be left to her own devices. Visitors were unwanted and The King’s regular visits were becoming tiresome as were his transparent excuses to keep turning up. 

She blinked rapidly, sighed and shifted in her seat, attempting the next paragraph and finding herself finally able to take in the information. 

A gentle rapping on the doors glass disturbed her from her novel, making her jump slightly. She slapped the book harshly on the coffee table and huffed angrily as she got up from the couch. Probably Ezekiel with another lame excuse, she thought as she approached the door. 

For a moment, she almost didn’t want to look up and see who it was, frustrated and exasperated with not being allowed to just…be. She froze when she saw who was standing there. 

 

Daryl felt his body tense as Carol come into view. She was real. She was alive and she was fine. Just like Mia had said. It had been a long time since he had last seen her and he hadn’t realised just how happy this moment would make him. She blinked tears from her eyes and lunged at him, throwing her arms around his neck. He returned her embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder. She was sniffing loudly, fighting back tears as he broke away from her and looked at her saddened face. 

“Daryl” She whispered. 

“Rick said you left…why’d you go?” He asked, his voice cracking as he fought to hold back tears. 

She swallowed hard and pressed her lips into a thin line. 

“I had to” She croaked. 

Daryl glanced over his shoulder to see Mia at the end of the path, leaning on the broken mailbox and watching them. He gave her a visible nod, making a mental note to thank her later.

 

Mia’s heart swelled at the sight of Daryl with the only other woman that could successfully get him to talk about his feelings. She watched as they went inside before settling down on the other side of the road, just outside the treeline in the sun. It was not lost on her that both her and Daryl had to wait for the end of the world to find something that was real. Not only in each other but with the people around them. They had friends, family. People that they could rely on and that were protecting them. Neither of them had been blessed with the basic love and affection that children need in order to grow into well rounded adults. They had brought themselves up as fighters, independent, self-reliant and strong individuals that lacked something important-love from those they cared about. 

Carol sat by the fire, slowly stirring a pot of soup and feeling Daryl watching her from across the room. She had explained her living situation, being left to reside outside the Kingdoms walls alone but The King had insisted on visiting at least once a week, finding every excuse under the sun to ensure she was OK. 

“They got a King huh?” He asked. Carol smiled to herself. As ridiculous as it sounded, The Kingdom did indeed have it’s very own king. 

“Yes, Ezekiel is a good man. Even if he does ignore my requests to be left in peace” She replied, circling the wooden spoon in the large cooking pot. She heard him grunt from behind her. A few minutes went by and Daryl slowly glanced around, examining the room that Carol now used as her living area. It was clean and tidy and he could tell she wasn’t struggling for food. She had her security measures and he was sure she seemed to be safe enough. He looked back to the pot on the fire. 

“So we gonna eat or have I gotta be a king or somethin’ to get some food around here?” He said. Carol laughed at him over her shoulder before removing the pot from the fire and placing it on the dining table in front of Daryl. The smell of vegetable soup engulfed the room and he felt his stomach growl as he watched Carol fill a bowl and hand it to him. He realised he was starving. He wasted no time devouring the meal and messily wiped at his face with his wrist. Carol smiled playfully at him before her expression turned more serious. 

“How did you find me, Daryl? She asked. 

He shifted in his seat and looked up at her through his hair. 

“I didn’t, Mia did” He replied “She’s good at finding stuff. People. Brought me out here to ya.” 

She nodded as another smile emerged on her face, Daryl found himself mirroring her expression, bashfully looking around the room. 

“You look different” She said, causing his eyes to return to hers. 

“Older maybe” He huffed, amused by her strange statement.

“No” She said “It’s not that. You look…happier somehow.” She placed her hand over his wrist on the table. He glanced down at the gesture and thought for a moment before replying. 

“Guess I am” He murmured.

“It’s her, isn’t it?” She probed. “It’s Mia. Am I right?” She lowered her head slightly, as if trying to see his eyes under his hair. 

“Yeah” He said quietly. 

Carol gently squeezed his arm and beamed at him, happy that he was happy and safe in the knowledge that even though she hadn’t been around, he had someone else that saw the good in him. 

“I knew you two would hit it off eventually. She liked you from that first run you two went on. Told me herself” She removed her hand from his wrist and laced her fingers together on the table in front of her. Daryl was staring at her.

“She did?” He asked. 

“She did. I told her not to give up on you. I knew she would be good for you”

Daryl shook his head and a small huff of a laugh escaped him. The dim light in the room cast shadows across his face but Carol could still see his sly smile. 

“The day she first kissed me, I knew she’d be a damn pain in my ass ever since. She’s stubborn as hell”

She grinned at him, her eyes almost welling with tears at the good news. 

“You two have something in common then” She jested, earning her a laugh from him. 

 

It had to have been two hours ago since Mia saw Daryl walk through the door to Carols new home. She had been laying against a tree, reading a book she had pulled from her backpack and gently singing to herself when she found her eyes tiring from scanning the words. The sun was hot and she was grateful for the shade and cover of the trees. She got to her feet, shoving the book back into her bag. A cheesy crime thriller she had picked up on a scavenger run when she was alone. She straightened her back, raising her arms above her head as her shoulder cracked. A light click caught her attention and she pushed the leaves aside in front of her to reveal Daryl stepping out onto the porch of the house. 

She grabbed her backpack, swung it over her shoulder and trudged out of the tree line. She saw Daryl hop down the steps and begin to make his way down the path when he stopped, turned on his heels and swiftly walked back to Carol, pulling her into a tight and prolonged hug. Mia stopped at the gate and waited patiently, smiling broadly to Daryl as he broke away and approached her. He opened the gate and lifted a hand to the side of her face, gently stroking her cheek. She melted into him as he kissed her deeply, keeping a firm hold of her face and only breaking the kiss when he was ready. 

She blinked rapidly as she slowly moved back slightly, looking up into his eyes. 

“What was that for?” She breathed. He looked nervously at the ground and then back up at her. 

“Just…felt like it” He said. “Uh, Carol…she want’s to talk to ya” He stepped aside to reveal Carol observing them from her porch, a bright smile on her face as she leaned against the rickety wooden post that propped up the roof.  
Mia swallowed hard and took a deep breath. She pushed through the gate and started towards Carol, almost expecting to be told off for revealing her location to Daryl. But her smile remained as she neared, quelling Mia’s apprehension. She stopped at the top of the steps.

“Hi Carol” She said sheepishly. 

“Don’t worry, I forgive you for snitching on me” She joked, stepping forward and hugging her gently. She broke away and glanced over Mia’s shoulder at Daryl, who was digging around in the dirt with his boot, glancing up at them intermittently. 

“He needed to see you.” Mia started ‘You’re his best friend and I want him to be happy. I didn’t tell anyone else where you were. I just, I wanted him to see you. If anything just to say goodbye. He needed that. ”

Carol hesitated before answering, seeing Mia’s pleading look and almost feeling a stab of pity that this woman had no idea just how in love she was with Daryl and how obvious it was to probably everyone else but her. 

“He is happy. You make him happy” She cooed. “He changes when he talks about you. I’m grateful you brought him here. Really, I am. I’m glad I got to see him and I’m glad he’s alive and well, and with you.”  
Mia nodded, shifting to allow herself a quick look at Daryl at the end of the path. He was watching them both. 

“Has he told you yet?” Carol asked, snapping Mia’s attention back to her.

“Told me what?” 

“That he’s in love with you”

Mia felt herself blush and cursed herself internally. She hated showing outward embarrassment, not being used to the feeling at all. She was never easily embarrassed but it seemed the one thing that did manage to make her bashful, was Daryl. 

“Yes, he has” She squeaked, feeling Carol brush a stray strand of hair from her eyes, tracing a soft, tingling line across her forehead and looking right at her.

“Then he will love you for the rest of his life.” She said confidently. 

 

When she reached the end of the path, she paused and looked back at the house, giving Carol a small wave. She felt thankful for their little chat and almost like it had given her a sense of clarity. She hoped it had done the same for Daryl too. Who seemed to keep looking at her over and over as they walked back across the street. He took her hand and gripped her fingers in his. 

Under the cover of the trees and out of the blazing sun, Daryl pulled her to him and softly grazed her lips with his, his breathing heavy and laboured. His fingers journeyed across her freckles on her nose, under her eye, down the side of her face and along her jawline as he continued to kiss her lightly. She smiled into their kiss and stepped back slightly, grabbing his hand in mid-air as he tried to follow her. 

“Um…Thanks” He whispered. “I was mad at ya at first. But…It was good to see her. This was all you. So, thanks.”

Instead of answering, Mia kissed his nose and started past him, towards where they left the bike. 

“You sure about this?” Daryl asked her over his shoulder, having to raise his voice over the bikes engine so she could hear him from her seat behind. 

“Trust me” She said. 

Daryl accelerated the bike and they shot up the dusty hill, sweat beading on Mia’s forehead from the blazing sun. She had directed him from Carols house, which wasn’t too far away and told him to stop the bike as they reached fortified walls and heavy gates. 

 

She dismounted the bike and pulled her shades from her bag, sliding them over her face and grinning at Daryl as he shot her an apprehensive look from the other side of the bike. 

“Stop right there!” They heard someone shout. Mia squinted and could just about make out a guard on top of the gate, glaring at them.

“Oh, Hi!” Mia beamed, raising an arm and waving at him. “We’re friends of Jesus, I understand he’d informed the King we’d be stopping by today”

“What?” She heard Daryl say from beside her. She flapped her hand at him in an attempt to get him to be quiet. 

“What are your names?” The guard asked. 

“Mia Roberts and Daryl Dixon” She replied. The guard disappeared from view. 

“I asked Jesus to speak to The King before we headed back last night, see if he could offer us a place to stay for a while. He arranged for us to visit today. You get to be nearer to Carol and we can always go back to Hilltop if you don’t like it here” 

Daryl just stared at her and yet another one of her secretive ideas. The guard popped back up on the gate again. 

“Open the gates!” he yelled. 

Daryl grabbed the bikes handles and wheeled it through the gates while Mia walked slowly at his side. 

 

A large, jolly looking man with a long, black ponytail and mutton chops greeted them at the gate and led them to the man that they all referred to as ‘The King’. Mia still found this amusing and bizarre. 

“Wonder if he’s going to give us a rendition of ‘Love me tender’. I was more a fan of ‘Hound dog’ though” She joked under her breath. Daryl stifled a laugh and shook his head as they walked into what appeared to be an old movie theatre. Rows and rows of red chairs filled the room. Daryl and Mia stopped in their tracks when their eyes hit the stage. Their escort carried on down the isle to the front of the room. Mia’s eyes widened. 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” She eventually managed to say. 

“Dudes got a frickin’ tiger” He said, motionless and rooted to the spot beside her. 

“I thought Id seen everything when a Walker tried to eat Rhymes that day. I sure as hell have seen everything now”.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mia is baaaaaaack!
> 
> **Smut and Language warning**

King Ezekiel turned out to be eccentric, but a kind and reasonable leader to his people. He welcomed Daryl and Mia with open arms, providing them with their own living quarters in one of the buildings. After riding back to the Hilltop to collect the rest of their belongings, they had both settled in and were starting to feel safer, despite the King having a deal with Negan for supplies. Mia was thankful these supplies exchanges were performed outside of the Kingdom’s walls, meaning her and Daryl rarely had to make themselves scarce. 

Their room was white, almost sterile looking and it reminded Daryl of the waiting room in the local police station where he grew up and spent a lot of time waiting for Merle to be released after one of his drug or drink benders. The bed was comfortable enough and they had a small closet and some shelves along with a table and a fabric covered arm chair in the corner. Daryl had poked fun at Mia numerous times for being unable to part with her material possessions, especially her posters and various items of clothing, while he was more than happy with just the clothes on his back and his crossbow. 

Mia had been teaching lock picking to some of The Kingdom’s residents. Jerry, The Kings, rotund and long haired, loyal servant and confidant was the most adept at it, flashing her smug grins every time he managed to crack a lock quicker than the others in the group. 

Daryl had kept himself to himself, avoiding engaging in too much conversation with anyone and spending hours out hunting. The only soul he seemed to connect with apart from Mia, was The King’s tiger, Shiva. The enormous predator was kept in a reinforced cage in the Theatre and Daryl visited her almost every day. At first, he was wary of getting too close, eventually building up the courage to bring his hand closer to the bars. When Shiva sniffed at the back of his fingers and rubbed her head against them, he knew then that she was like Mia in a way. Volatile if needed, but mostly affectionate and protective of those she loved. Of course, she teased him about his new feline friend, but he knew it was mainly out of jealousy. Shiva wasn’t too keen on women. 

In the evenings, he curled up with Mia in their room, listening to her sing softly to herself while she carved new bolts for his crossbow, a skill he had taught her and had revelled in watching her learn. While they were both settled, the open nature of the Kingdom had sometimes proved to be less than pleasing to the both of them. People constantly wandered past their room at all hours, the walls were thin and they had been interrupted in a compromising position on more than one occasion. 

***

One morning, The King had called a meeting with some of the townsfolk to establish where they should scavenge next. He had asked Mia, an experienced scavenger and Daryl, an expert in hunting to be present, should they have anything useful to add. 

The meeting was held in what appeared to be an unused library which housed dark red, velvet couches and mahogany tables and chairs. The group were huddled together around the main desk with Mia and Daryl on the outside. Mia, who by now, was chomping at the bit to get Daryl’s clothes off without having to abandon her plans halfway through, was almost past caring what people saw. 

She slyly caught his eye from across the room, his reaction not being what she expected. He held her gaze and followed her as she slowly paced around everyone else. Her mind was crowded with thoughts, fantasises and images of what she wanted to do to him. Detailed and graphic enough to send a shot of warmth through her nerve endings and between her legs. Feeling herself throb as he watched her approach him. She quickly broke their eye contact to scan the group, all immersed in conversation and busying themselves with the task at hand. 

Mia passed behind him, as if she were casually walking around waiting to be addressed by someone. She saw his shoulders tighten as she ran a finger down his spine and leaned towards his ear. 

“You’ve been watching me.” She breathed. “Like a Lion stalks a deer.” 

His breath hitched in his throat and his skin pricked as she swiftly moved from his side and wandered to the corner. He saw her inspect some books on the bookshelf before turning and making her way back to him. All the while giving the convincing impression that she was merely wandering, absentmindedly around the room. She slowed as she passed him again. 

“I fitted a lock on our door before I came here” She said into one ear, moving swiftly and quietly to the other. “I need you”

He exhaled as quietly as possible, trying to ground himself and stop the subtle movement in his Jeans. He saw her grin to herself as she moved back around the group and into the back half of the room. Her fingertips lightly dragging along the dark wooden surfaces of the side table and the closest desk. She got her map out of her pocket and lay it on the desk’s surface, following the routes out of The Hilltop to The Kingdom. She knew Daryl had followed her and was now stood not too far behind her. Almost able to sense his presence without even seeing him. 

Daryl had been unable to resist the urge to be near her and now found himself well within touching distance, having to keep a close eye on the group so as to ensure no one turned around and saw them. He thought they might literally be able to see the sexual tension in the air. He smiled to himself when he saw the map on the desk. _Clever girl_ he thought. Giving them both a reason to be separate from everyone else. He turned his back to the others, shielding them both and pretended to look at the map, deliberately placing a finger in one of the red circles as he growled in his southern drawl, under his breath. 

“Keep doin’ this to me…and I will bend ya over this desk and fuck ya ‘til ya forget ya damn name”

Mia felt as though he had already started. She bit her lip as her eyes widened and her clit tingled at the mental image now coursing through her mind. She exhaled sharply and her mouth hung open as she steadied herself with both hands flat on the desk. 

“Oh my god” She said without moving her lips, completely stunned by his brash and forceful comment. She hadn’t been this shocked by something in a long time. But as shocked as she was, the unexpected nature of such a bold comment, growled at her so privately and intimately in a room full of people had turned her on more than she cared to admit.

“You understand?” He hissed, placing his finger on a different circle on the map. 

Struggling to contain herself and disguise the fact that she was now slightly out of breath, she tried to compose herself. 

“Is that a promise, Dixon?”

 

“It’s a promise.”

“Then I understand. Loud and clear.” She licked her lips and went to move past him, carefully sliding her hand between his legs and squeezing firmly. He fought to keep his composure. 

“You’re getting good at this” She purred as she walked away. 

After the meeting, Mia was dragged away for Lock picking training with her usual students and Daryl remained in their room, fighting the urge to relieve himself of all the pent up sexually charged desire he had felt all morning. Staying strong enough to wait for her return, he set about cleaning his crossbow and pistol. 

“Hey cat whisperer. Guess what? Jerry seems to think he’s Houdini now” Mia chirped as she bounced into the room around an hour later. 

She kicked off her boots and jumped onto the bed as Daryl watched her from the chair on the other side of the room, his eyes were locked on her. He loved it when she told him about her day, even if it was mostly the same stories repeated, but right at that moment, he really didn’t care. 

“So, I’m there thinking this lock I challenged him to open is going to be the one to finally beat him, I mean it took me almost a half hour to crack this baby…and he does it in like 5 minutes! I felt like a complete asshole in front of all those dumbfounded faces. You should have heard him gloat. I think I rolled my eyes about seventeen times. I’ve decided I don’t like him anymore. We should feed him to your cat girlfriend.” She laughed as she lay back and wriggled out of her jeans. 

Daryl was staring at her from his spot in the corner, admiring the alluring sight of her inked, smooth legs and the delicious curve of her hips. He got to his feet and walked to the door. Sliding the newly fitted bolt into place before heading to the bed. He sat sideways, leaning over her legs and propping himself up on an elbow. 

“Ezekiel wants me to help out teaching knife skills. I’m not sure I’m good enough at it to teach it. I mean, I’m only self-taught. Y’know?” She chattered, laying her head back on the pillow and plucking a hair tie from her wrist. She twisted and pulled at it, moulding into shapes in the air above her. 

Daryl dipped his head and began kissing along her thigh and stroking her velvety soft skin with his fingers. 

“Hey, chatterbox? Are you even listening to me?” She asked, raising her head and looking down her body at him. 

“No” he admitted. He pulled himself up further on the bed, crawling over her and lowering his body onto hers. 

He pulled her tank top up and kissed over her stomach. She wriggled beneath him and threaded her fingers into his hair. After weeks turning into months since she’d first met Daryl, the way he touched her still took her off guard. He was gentle yet determined and she frequently found herself melting at his touch. 

Being in a relationship with Mia had led to all kinds of discoveries for Daryl. He now knew he was capable of talking about his feelings, albeit not in great detail and not without some reluctance. He realized her energy and enthusiasm for just about everything was her way of making sure she was living and not just surviving and that he too needed to try and adopt the same outlook. He also never knew that he had such a high sex drive. 

“Daryl” She whispered. 

He looked up at her, seeing her smiling at him. His lips were glistening and his eyes were dark. 

“Get up here and kiss me like you missed me” She grinned. 

He obliged without any hesitation, crashing his lips to hers and moving her legs either side of his knees. She dragged her nails up his back, pulling his shirt up and revealing his scarred and tattooed skin. He broke away from her long enough to discard the shirt and returned to her lips, slipping his tongue into her mouth and feeling her hook her legs around his waist. 

His hand slipped under her top and along the side of her body while he kissed her frantically, his breathing now louder and laboured. Leaving her lips and shifting his weight onto his knees, he traced his fingertips from her bottom lip, down her chin and across her chest, tugging her clothing down and revealing the top of her breasts.  
“I need you” She gasped.

It was becoming his favourite phrase. Hearing how much she needed him sent sparks through him. She needed his length and his girth, filling her, stretching her walls and pounding her. His lungs constricted and his jaw tensed as he replayed her breathy words in his head and all he could think of was how much he needed her too.  
She sat up and lifted her top over her head, throwing it across the room and drawing in a sharp breath when he slid his hand into her panties and over her clit. Something in her snapped and she began tugging frantically at his jeans, flinging his belt buckle open and yanking his zipper down. Turned on by her urgency he applied more pressure to her spot and began to circle it before pushing his fingers down further and sliding two fingers inside. She groaned with pleasure as she finally freed him from his pants. Her hand worked up and down and she bit her lip when she felt him shudder and pulse in her grasp. He dipped his head forwards, his forehead connecting with hers as she arched her back at the sensation of him grazing over the nerve endings inside her. Unable to disguise his elation, Daryl moaned loudly and Mia clamped her other hand around his bicep. 

“Fuck me” She whispered “Now”

At this order, he withdrew his hand and discarded his jeans along with her black panties and bra. With her naked and waiting under him, he kissed her as he gently rubbed her clit and entrance with the head of his cock. She was soaking, ready for him, clawing at him. 

“Please” She breathed, closing her eyes

Daryl wanted to respond to her but was unsure, the odd comment was fine but dirty talk wasn’t really his thing. He was still struggling with the fact that Mia wanted him all the time and was still unable to figure out why. But she was all about taking chances and living a little, and she was slowly bringing it his confidence. 

“Kinda like it when ya beg” He admitted, marvelling at her through his hair.

Her eyes opened and she met his gaze, her fingers slowly and deliberately curling around his bicep. Her expression changed to one of complete seriousness. 

“Please, Daryl” She said quietly.

His lips parted as he looked down at her. No one had ever begged for him before.

“Please” She repeated, her voice fading at the end of the word. 

Observing how her words were almost putting him into a trance, she refused to look away from his eyes and noticed how heavy his breathing had become. She lifted her hips to him and felt the tip of his cock against her clit.

“Please, I want you” She whispered. 

He suddenly seized her hips, holding them in place and gradually edged inside her, stopping halfway to release a loud breath coupled with a short groan. Mia had no idea how it was possible, but as his muscles tensed and he tilted his head back, she was sure he became even more attractive in those few seconds. She used her legs to cling to him and pulled him further inside her until they were both engulfed in a rush of pleasure. 

He began to edge in and out of her, taking his time and making sure his strokes were long and intense. He dipped his head and braced himself on the bed beside her, feathering his lips over hers and maintaining eye contact as he thrusted inside her, long and slow. He had never taken her like this before and Mia wanted to savour ever delicious moment of it. She brought her hands up, placing her arms over his shoulders and lacing one hand into his hair. 

He could feel her rising to meet him each time, creating a gratifying rhythm and he felt his core begin to shudder. She pulled on his shoulders, wanting him nearer to her and he lowered himself down further, burying his face in her neck as she grazed his back lightly with her fingernails. His breathy moans and grunts in her ear pushing her closer and closer each time. Her hands fell to the mattress either side of her and she arched her back when she noticed his driving into her had become shorter but his slow pace hadn’t increased. He was pushing as far as he could inside of her and Mia’s body was beginning to tense. She grabbed handfuls of the sheets while Daryl placed a hand on her pelvis, pinning her in position. She sucked in a deep breath and released it in a loud, almost singing groan that Daryl just could not ignore. 

“Uh…fuck. You like that?” He gasped. 

Unable to answer for a moment, she swallowed hard and tried to hold off her approaching orgasm. 

“I’m gonna come if you keep doing that” She confessed. 

“Good, I wanna feel you shake” He uttered as he continued to hold her down and fuck her deep and slow. She kissed him as sparks began to flit around under her skin from tip to toe, the pressure in her pussy and around her clit mounting fast. She slapped her hands against his chest and pushed him up and out of her. A brief flicker of confusion flashing across his face.

“You wanna feel me shake, huh?” She smiled. “You wanna see it too?”

He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and smirked. 

“Ya know I do” he replied. 

She took hold of his waist, guiding him to the side and onto his back while she straddled him and pushed him back inside her. Her black hair hung loosely across her shoulders and breasts and her tattoos swayed and twisted as she circled her hips, grinding on him and throwing her head back. He took one of her hands and entwined their fingers. With the other, he rubbed his thumb over her clit, loving the sight of her hardened nipples and milky, pale skin writhing on top of him. She soon changed tact and began to lift herself up and down, using Daryl’s hand for stability.

He knew he wasn’t going to last long with the glorious sight of her there but Mia beat him to it. Her walls gripped him inside, almost taking his breath away with how strong it felt. She snapped a hand over his wrist, telling him not to stop his work on her clit. A rapid, intense rumble shattered through her body, shaking every muscle and tightening all her tendons. She bucked and her eyes rolled back, Daryl’s mouth widening in awe at the sight. When she cried out, it was bordering on a scream. The ripples and tensing of the muscles in her body felt incredible to Daryl and it was enough to push him off the edge. His hands slammed down on her thighs as he pushed himself as far into her as he could go, his orgasm rumbling through him.

Mia had brought her gaze back to him just in time to see him dig his fingers into her thighs and growl loudly. She leaned forwards, her breathing rapid and shallow and she kissed him roughly as he came. He moaned into her mouth and she covered his lips, chin and neck with kisses as his wave passed over him. When he began to quieten, she sat back up and smiled down at him through the loose, sweaty strands of her hair. He reached up and tucked one side of her hair behind her ear. 

“That was the hottest thing I ever saw.” He smiled. 

Mia giggled bashfully while he ran the tip of his index finger along her bottom lip and over her chin. He carried on down her chest to her stomach before she flinched slightly. 

“Ticklish” She whispered, hoisting herself from his hips and lying next to him, looking at the ceiling.

He turned to his side and softly kissed her shoulder. The two of them lay in silence for a while, Daryl making a mental note of every freckle that covered her nose, cheeks and shoulders. He was sure that if someone had told him a few years ago while he was still hanging out in dive bars with Merle, that he’d be in a relationship with Mia, he’d have laughed in their face. 

“I really fuckin’ love you, Mia.” He blurted out, breaking the silence.

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. 

“M’sorry” he mumbled, turning over onto his back. “Ya aint gotta say anything”

More quiet fell around them. When Mia finally opened her eyes, she could almost feel the humiliation emanating from Daryl. She faced him, propping herself up on an elbow and leaned into him. Placing a finger on his chin, she turned his face to hers and kissed his lips lightly, her eyes locking with his as she moved back. Her lips quivered, as if she was trying to find the right words to respond. But there was no sound. 

“S’alrigh-” He started. 

“Just…just give me a second” She interrupted, licking her lips and playing with a crease in the sheet between them as she thought.

“I’ve never known a man like you” She eventually said “I look at you and I- I can’t believe how amazing you are. I spent so long searching for somewhere I belong, never really admitting to myself that I needed that. I know it now, it’s you. It’s always been you. You make me feel like I’m home. Because I belong with you. I’m so in love with you I can’t even say the words because it scares me to death.”

Daryl couldn’t help but grin. _Finally _.__

__“Ya just did” He said, raising an eye brow at her._ _

__She bit her lip “Yeah, I guess I did.”_ _

__“Wanna try that one again?” He pressed._ _

__She shuffled closer to him, slinking a leg over his and ducking under his arm. Partially laid on his chest, she rubbed her nose on his._ _

__“I love you, Daryl Dixon.” She whispered._ _

__***_ _

__The were both awakened by Jerry hammering on the door. The wood shaking in the frame._ _

__“Guys?!” He yelled “Guys?! You in there? One of Negan’s men is at the gate asking for you. He says he’s come to warn us about an attack. You gotta hurry before the guards throw a spear through him!”_ _

__“Dwight” Mia said as shot up out of bed and started snatching her clothes from the floor. She quickly slid her underwear and bra on and ran to the door._ _

__“Mia, what the fuck?!” She heard Daryl call from behind her. She spun around and saw him gesture to her undressed state. Ignoring him, she grabbed her tank top from the floor, turned back to the door and flicked the bolt back._ _

__Daryl saw Jerry’s eyes widen at the sight of his nearly naked girlfriend stood in the doorway and he huffed and shook his head as he sat up on the bed. Their visitor’s jaw almost hit the floor before he quickly and politely looked away._ _

__“Oh shit…uh…sorry to interrupt.” He said awkwardly._ _

__“We’ll be right there, go and tell the King that we have an arrangement with him and no one is throwing any spears at him at least until Daryl and I have heard what he has to say.” She ordered._ _

__Jerry glanced back at her and nodded in acknowledgement. “Nice tattoos” He grinned. She rolled her eyes and swiped at him with the scrunched-up tank top in her hand, seeing him laugh before he ran off down the hall. She closed the door and pulled her top over her head._ _

__Daryl was shuffling to the edge of the bed. “Think ya just made that guys year.” He grumbled._ _

__“Yeah?” She asked, tugging on her boots and fumbling with the laces. “Maybe if I show him a titty he’ll stop making an ass of me at lockpicking training”._ _

__She lifted her gaze to Daryl who was staring at her, unable to decipher if she was being serious or not._ _

__“I’m kidding! Jeez!” She laughed. “If he shows me how he mastered that lock today I’ll show him both.”_ _

__Daryl threw a sock at her, unable to stifle a snort of laughter when she threw it back at him._ _

__***_ _

__At the gate, Ezekiel was holding the fort, the guards all poised and ready to attack. Mia was well aware that Dwight could quite easily have switched sides again and was here to confirm that they were both still alive and using the Hilltop as a hideout. But her options were now limited. If he had information, they had to hear it and she knew they could always flee back to the cottage if everything went south._ _

__Daryl signalled to the king to open the gates. As they rumbled open, Dwight cut a lonely figure on the other side. Standing by a motorcycle, he looked sombre and exhausted. Mia and Daryl walked towards him, ensuring their conversation happened outside the walls and to avoid anyone getting hurt if they had to kill him, Mia asked the guards to close the gates behind them._ _

__Daryl stood inches from Dwight’s face, his chest puffed out and his jaw pulled tight. Mia could almost see the hatred seething from his pores.  
“Well?” Daryl spat. _ _

__“Negan has attacked Alexandria. Place is in ruins. I tried to stall him, but he would have figured it out. I couldn’t see any of your people, I’m assuming they managed to escape somehow. He might be coming here next, so I wanted to give you a heads up.”_ _

__“Aint that kind of ya” Daryl said sarcastically. Mia placed a hand on his shoulder._ _

__“Dwight, is he looking for us?” Mia asked._ _

__“Nah, Rick’s pushed him to the brink. He’s waging war now. He want’s Rick dead.” He replied, looking around Daryl’s imposing figure to her._ _

__“Are the Hilltop and Kingdom at risk?” She questioned._ _

__He hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering from her to Daryl and back again. He nodded. “You should all prepare. He could turn up any day. He has numbers and Simon is getting unpredictable. I doubt any pleasantries the King has with him will hold anymore. Guys just as bad as Negan.”_ _

__Throughout their conversation, Daryl remained perfectly still and on the verge of strangling Dwight with his bare hands. As Mia dragged information out of him, Daryl listened but was struggling to keep his anger under control._ _

__“Go back now, before he realises what you’ve been doing.” Mia suggested, realising that Daryl wasn’t going to be able to keep a hold on his self-control much longer._ _

__Dwight heeded her advice and backed up, hopping back on his bike and starting the engine. Mia placed a hand on Daryl’s arm and saw him relax instantly._ _

__As Dwight flicked the bike’s kickstand up, Mia called out to him._ _

__“How is she? Sherry.” She asked._ _

__Dwight’s face fell at the mention of his wife's name and he shrugged sadly._ _

__“I don’t know. She got out. Left me.” He said._ _

__Mia felt a stab of sadness. She knew how much Sherry loved him. So much that she stayed with Negan when she had the opportunity to escape with Mia. She could only assume it had got to be too much for her._ _

__“Then why are you still helping us?” She queried._ _

__He sighed and opened his hands out in an open gesture as he leaned on his handlebars._ _

__“I just can’t do this anymore. Someone has to take him out. People are getting hurt. I’m too much of a coward to do it.”_ _

__Mia nodded in acknowledgement as she watched him put the bike into first gear._ _

__“Dwight” She said over the engines noise. She stepped closer. “I’m sorry, about Sherry. What you’re doing for us? It’s not cowardly, it’s brave.”_ _

__“I know I’m going to die for this. But at least I can die knowing I eventually did the right thing. I don’t have anything else to live for now.” He confessed. “Get your people ready. You need guns, a lot of them. I’ll stall him for as long as I can.”_ _

__“Thank you” Mia said sincerely before stepping back as Dwight turned the bike around and roared off into the distance._ _


End file.
